Why Don't I Just Give in and Drink Bacon Juice?

What if--just hypothetically--you were sitting in church one Sunday afternoon and trying to listen to the sermon but suddenly and irrationally the word "hollandaise" popped into your mind?

And then--stick with me here--you kind of fixated on that particular word to the point that you really didn't pay attention to the rest of the talk because you were fantasizing about asparagus covered in hollandaise sauce and remembering how you had a bunch of asparagus in your refrigerator and vowing that the moment you got out of church you were going to whip up some hollandaise bliss and cover yourself in it?

Just hypothetically of course. How bad would that be on a scale from one to ten? Because I'm rather ashamed of myself.

I was so rabid to have some hollandaise that I went home and did just that--well except the part about covering myself. I did refrain on that point but I made myself a plate of asparagus and ate the whole entire thing. Much to the relief of my children and husband.

I'm not sure why the craving hit so hard but it was all I could do not to pour it all into a glass and drink it down right there, which, as we all know, is about the worst thing one can possible do to one's body. I think reports say it's healthier to drink lye or gasoline than all that butter and egg delight.

Have you seen pictures of cholesterol coating the insides of people's arteries? Or pictures of liposuctioned fat, jiggling in a jar? Because it pretty much looks exactly like hollandaise. I could have melted down a one-pound bar of chocolate, inserted a straw and started slurping away and it wouldn't have been so depraved.

But the best news was that I had enough sauce left over that I did what I've never done before. I fixed myself eggs benedict the next morning. I've only had them one other time and it was when my mother and I were visiting Seattle together and were staying at the Woodmark Hotel. The view of Lake Washington out of the window and the gorgeous spring weather turned my head and I ordered something I'd never eaten before and loved it. Poached eggs on a bed of toast with slivers of lox and all covered with beautiful, glorious hollandaise.

I'm not sure how eggs benedict got its name but I'm quite sure it's either because you're a traitor for eating such an myocardial abomination or that you need a blessing from the pope to overcome such a gastronomical sin.

But to return to my story, the kids had all gone to school, I'd done my morning chores and the sun was streaming through the front window as I poached the eggs and laid them over my long square of toasted homemade bread. I didn't have salmon or the traditional ham but used smoked turkey and poured the liquid sunshine over the top before closing my eyes as I took the first bite. When it was all gone I did something I never do. I looked at the plate and thought, "I'm alone--no one is looking. . . ." and quickly picked up the plate and did a quick lick.

Which is about the time the doorbell rang. I jumped and nearly dropped the plate as I turned and saw through the full-length glass of our front door my sister standing there. Completely true.

But if you haven't made homemade hollandaise sauce for yourself you're missing out. Don't let me catch you buying one of those dry mix packets, just give the real thing a try. It goes together in five minutes but the happiness and calories will linger with you for days. . . .

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, cut into tablespoons and at room temperature
freshly ground black pepper

In a small sauce pan whisk the egg yolks with the water and lemon juice. Then, in another bigger and deeper pan bring some water to a boil and hold the bottom of the saucepan in the boiling water. Drop one tablespoon of butter in at a time into the egg mixture, whisking it in to combine in then adding another tablespoon. You'll see it start to thicken very quickly and you can continue adding the butter until it's all incorporated. Stir it well to keep it smooth then top it with cracked pepper or paprika for color.

You will never be the same, I promise you.

Sponsored by Polkadot Peacock for children's bedding.

REI . . . You're My Hero

And I actually should add the BLM but then I thought that would be so many letters in the title that nobody would understand what I was trying to say.

So the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) gets a round of applause as well because last weekend they sponsored a Winter Trails Day at the Campbell Creek Science Center where anyone and everyone could flock to the beautiful, scenic snowy playground and spend the day having fun in the great Alaskan wilderness. Right there in the city.

And it was a first-class production. REI had brought all their winter equipment and offered it free of charge so you could finally see what it feels like to snow shoe or ski or ride one of those giant-bubble-tire-bikes. I've always wondered how it is to ride a bike with winter tires.

Not only could you try out the equipment for free--yes FREE--but they had food and booths set up for all sorts of great information such as avalanche safety. But the thing that had us in love was how they had free outdoor winter safety packets you could put together. Each person could take home a fanny pack (and don't let me catch you wearing it unless you are actually outdoors and doing something rugged because it's not a fashion piece people) complete with all the gear you see above. Hats, water bottles, space blankets, hand warmers, flashing beacons, maps, equipment checklists, power bars, lip balm, first aid kids and Leathermans.

Yes, you read that right. A Leatherman. No Alaskan is complete without one and I love it that each of my kids now has a winter safety pack for taking when we go out on one of our excursions. I love you REI. And the BLM too.

As for other cool outdoor stuff, I've found a few links you might find helpful for enjoying that winter weather. Should you happen to have any in your neck of the woods.

How to build an outdoor private skating rink
How to make a sled out of a wooden palette

And for indoor fun:

The great new Lego board games--build your own!
How to make scented gel paints

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions

How Do You Display Your Collections?

I've got a rock collection that has sat in an old pot for years collecting dust. Some of the rocks I've picked up on vacations, some I've found here at home, some of them have been given to me and others I've bought up at shops along the way.

I love the feeling of a pretty rock in your hand, how the texture and color and pattern can make a little piece of art that any child can pick up and keep in his pocket and take out to appreciate but I've had a hard time knowing what to do with my collection.

Last weekend I pulled out an old board from my craft closet and went to work to make a way to not only display the rocks but make them more interesting and educational for my children. I came up with this:


It's just an old piece of sanded wood and I used my woodburner to write the names of the rocks I've identified. It's not fancy and it's not protected from tiny hands but that's kind of the point. I think with rocks or seashells or things like this you have to be able to pick them up to enjoy them fully. That's why so many museums have signs everywhere saying "Don't Touch." When you see something interesting, what's the first thing you usually do? You touch it.


You have to have contact to make it feel real so I've got the rocks sitting out where they can pick them up, mix them around, figure out which is which and identify each piece for themselves. I just wish I could let you touch them too. Here are some of my favorites.


You'll notice that the last four don't have any names. I haven't been able to figure out what they are exactly--if any of you have an answer for me I'd love to know what they are.


I think this next one may be fluorite, but I'm not sure.


Can you tell we're getting more daylight? It makes all the difference in taking good pictures.


Any help you can give with these last four would be appreciated. I figure someone out there must know what they are.

Sponsored by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors.

"Follow Your Dreams"? Really? Are You Sure?

Of course we've been watching the Olympics this week--watching and enjoying the competition. It brings to mind, however, something I've been thinking about for some time, something that was touched on at the Blissdom conference which now rises to the surface as a post.

Kevin Carroll was the opening keynote speaker and held his audience captive with the story of his nomadic childhood, kept from education and stability by a mother who was constantly on the run. Despite these disadvantages, he eventually rose through the military, professional sports and a life overseas to be a spokesman for Nike and is now an inspirational speaker who travels the world talking about importance of play and loving what you do.

As you listen to him you can't help but feel his enthusiasm. He's someone who is genuine and warm, full of life and eager to share his enthusiasm with others. But . . . and there's always a but isn't there? I have been thinking about how consistently we're fed this message, how beautifully and perfectly it's packaged and presented but yet how hollow it can be.

Mr. Carroll is what you'd call a success story and I'm thrilled for him but no matter how many times I hear the words "Find what you love then do it" or "Follow your dreams" I have to remember that it's a sound bite just like any other slogan from an inspirational speaker. This is going to sound harsh and cruel but at what point did we as a society decide that life was all about loving every minute? About feeling joy and contentment about your job? Where did we decide that the greatest goal we should have is to have a career that fulfills our every need?

The truth is--and again, pardon my bleakness here--life is not about fun. Sure it can be lots of fun, don't get me wrong, and I enjoy my life but the majority of it is work, hard work. Work that makes you sweat and grunt and I don't recall seeing any kind of a contract that said that we'll achieve success if only we'll find our passion then follow it.

Let's Be Realistic
As Mr. Carroll happily spoke about the necessity to find what you love and then do it I couldn't help but think of all the people he left behind in the projects. He stood before us as a success story but surely there were others who had dreams just as great as his and didn't get the same breaks? I just can't believe he was the only worthy survivor.

While I would love to have everyone in a job that makes them jump out of bed each morning in eager anticipation the fact of the matter is that most of us will never have that kind of an experience. We will work because we need to to survive, we will work because we have people who depend on us, we work because we need to have something to do. Most people will never have jobs that bring them fame or fortune or thrills but then is that really so wrong? Should I apologize for pulling back the curtain and talking about such a depressing issue when it's true?

Having a job you love is a great thing but, quite frankly, it's not the norm. Look at the multitudes of humanity and tell me that all those farmers, serfs, monks, factory works, salesmen, store clerks, laborers or middle management executives had the luxury of following their dreams or doing exactly what they loved. We do ourselves a huge disservice to expect that the only job worth having is one that is fun. If what we do is honest and sustains us is it any less important or valuable than a job that brings fame and fortune?

Merit v. Luck
You may think I'm cynical but what has got me thinking is the misconception that if only you want something badly enough you can get it. Every evening newscasters interview the winning team which says, "We just wanted it more and so we did it."

What?? I doubt that if you went to the other team's locker room and asked them if they'd "wanted it" too they'd say, "Well, not really. We only kind of wanted it and that was why we lost."

The Olympics are full of stories about children who once drew pictures of themselves winning medals and are now standing on the podium with their medals around their necks. Surely the pictures prove that they had bigger dreams than the rest of us, right? Not that they had parents who were willing to do pretty much anything to allow their children to play a particular sports full time from the age of five and that there were hundreds of other parents who did the same thing but aren't hanging out in Vancouver this week. They must have wanted it more. Definitely.

We're a society that has become accustomed to thinking that whatever we want we deserve--whether it's houses, vacations, prestige or a career. The truth is, having a job is a privilege and if you happen to be so lucky as to enjoy what you do then you're twice blessed. It's doubtful that you wanted it more or followed your dream when the next guy didn't, it's most likely that you were in the right place at the right time, having worked hard to prepare yourself to take advantage of the opportunity when it came. You deserve some credit for being wise and prepared and for working at it--maybe even sacrificing more than another guy--but you also have to tip your hat to luck.

Unrealistic Expectations
Why is this important to understand? Well, first it's important because if we go around thinking we need to follow our dreams all the time we end up unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives. I've seen mothers deal with this issue in raising their children. Going into motherhood thinking that it's there to fulfill your dreams and that you'll spend your time staring in rapture at your sleeping child's cherubic face just sends you running for Valium the first time the baby won't stop crying from colic and the toddler gets sick in the night and leaves you cleaning the hall carpet. You wonder what's wrong and why you're not infinitely happy when it would take the patience of Job not to break down in tears.

Life actually is wonderful and amazing, but you don't have to have any amazing dreams to discover this. Just realizing that life is work--and that the work can be satisfying as well as trying--can be the difference between being content and happy and chaffing at your lot in life.

The book Good to Great examines why some companies succeed and others fail and it talks about prisoners of war. Those who were realistic in their expectations for getting home--that it might never happen--were more likely to get through the experience. Those who were unrealistically optimistic about their chances for rescue only ended up succumbing to disappointment while those who recognized that they may never be rescued but they had to do whatever it took to get through anyway became stronger from the experience and survived.

The moral of the story? Optimism and hope can be good things and I encourage cultivating them but when they're channeled into unrealistic expectations they cross the line into vain ambitions and can betray you.

Selfishness
The other problem with focusing too much on following your dreams is the cost. If your life is focused on making it big you're likely to notice causalities along the way as you sacrifice responsibilities on the altar of self-indulgence.

I sit here with the Olympics droning in the background while one of China's coaches speaks of his devotion to his work. He loves it, it's been his life for more than two decades. So much so that he's been gone from his family for twenty years, missed the birth and growth of his son and has given everything to his job. And this is good? Perhaps one might be persuaded that it's acceptable given his success but still . . . success at all costs? I wonder how his wife feels about the last twenty years. Thank goodness for television or his son might not even know what his father looks like.

We admire those who have been successful and prominent in their fields and while the dedication and work that it takes to be at the top is admirable I don't know that I've ever seen anyone in a hugely successful position that isn't unbalanced. To have the kind of focus that breeds success usually requires the elimination of all other distractions be it marriage, family, spirituality, physical fitness, education, whatever doesn't fit in with the focus of study. It's as if they've spent so much time exercising only one muscle in their body into perfection that all the others have grown weak and atrophied.

So Prioritize
Going after something with all your heart, following your dreams, whatever you want to call it isn't wrong per se--all it means is that you darn well better be sure of what your real dream is before you go after it. Is your dream to be the best in your profession? To have a job that gets you your fifteen minutes of fame? Travel the world experiencing everything it has to offer? Or are the relationships you build more important than your empires?

We find ourselves in the age of mid-life crises because we don't feel fulfilled. Because everyone around us is telling us that by forty-five we really should have achieved quite a bit of greatness and prestige, that our dreams should have been gratified. Sometimes we even look around at our relationships and wonder why they aren't as thrilling as the movies have been telling us they should be and we become dissatisfied with those as well. The only way to avoid this trap is by gauging your success on what really matters: are you a good person? Are you a good son/daughter/wife/husband/sibling? Have you made a difference for good in the world around you? Have you worked hard? Or have you spent life trying to find ways play and have fun?

So thank you Mr. Carroll for a delightful and fun half hour. I thought your speech was entertaining and fun and I admired your excitement and achievements but please don't think I'm awful if I simply say, "Yes, of course it all sounds wonderful to 'follow your dreams,' but . . . ."

Instead I'm going to close with a fabulous quote from journalist Jenkin Lloyd Jones that, while not as emotionally charged or pleasant to contemplate, is a much wiser way to live your life:

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .

Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

Follow your dreams if you must, just make sure those dreams are on the right track.

Sponsored by Annette Lyon, whose new novel Band of Sisters is now in print.

Banana Split Bread

I like almost any fruit or vegetable but bananas have never done it for me. I generally avoid them, not because of the flavor but because of the texture.

A fruit that's all mushy? So whose idea was that?

BUT . . . the law of the universe says that any vegetable rejected on the plate will be welcomed with open arms if given enough sugar (i.e. zucchini bread, carrot cake . . . all they need to do is invent a broccoli brownie or asparagus pudding and my kids would probably eat it and lick the bowl).

So banana bread is always good for me, regardless of how I might feel about the fruit. This version got great reviews for not only being moist and flavorful (the extracts that help a bit) but for the chocolate layer.

See what I mean about the sugar? Works every time.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons milk
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon butter extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add mashed bananas, butter, milk and eggs. Mix well until thoroughly combined then stir in extracts and walnuts.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees then bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Once cooled, gently melt the chocolate chips and stir until smooth (I use a glass dish and low power in the microwave, just watch it so that it doesn't burn). Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bread and allow to cool before slicing.

You can use white chocolate, even top it with a cherry, if you'd like it to be particularly decadent.

Sponsored by Sorella Jewelry Studio for fine personalized jewelry.

Guess What Came in the Mail?

Finally! I was getting a little worried . . . I sent our passports out for our visa applications and they got a tad bit lost on the way home. But they're now in my hot little hand, ready to go.

The countdown begins. India here we come! We'll be there in less than a month.

We're flying from Anchorage to Seattle then to Paris and onto Bangalore and when we return home, because of the time difference, we'll actually arrive in Anchorage before we left in Bangalore. Flying so fast we reverse time itself. Take that, Superman.

Once in India we'll be visiting Hyderabad, Chennai, Visak, Pondicherry, and probably some other places though I could have a few of the details wrong, we're still in the planning stages but one thing is certain, I'll be nice and warm for two whole weeks.

It ought to make for some great blog posts, I can tell you that.

Sponsored by Polkadot Peacock for children's bedding.

Encounters in Alaska

You'd think after living in Alaska for so many years--as in all my life--that there wouldn't be much I don't know about our fair state. Oh how wrong that would be.

In fact there are tons of things I don't know which is why I have developed a love for a certain radio show. It's called Encounters and it airs every Tuesday afternoon on our local KSKA public radio station. I catch it while I'm heading to the school to pick up the kids and invariably I tell them "shhhh!" as they get into the car so I can hear the last few sentences.

It's a strange show, really strange actually, because it's an hour-long monologue from Dr. Richard Nelson as he travels around the state to narrate different scenes of Alaskan life. Now that may not sound that exciting but Nelson has a doctorate in cultural anthropology and has lived in Alaska for 40 years in places as exotic and isolated as Wainwright, Sitka and Kodiak. He has this talent for sitting down in a scene of Alaskan wilderness and telling you what he's seeing and making it sound so appealing and interesting that if you closed your eyes you'd swear you were sitting next to him. Though I wouldn't advise doing that while you're driving. Not safe.

During one program he watched a hummingbird feeding frenzy and you could hear all the buzzings as if you were right there, on another he watched a pod of humpback whales bubblenet feeding and yesterday he talked about how Native Alaskan people--specifically the Inupiat--handled the extreme temperatures of the North Slope. Fascinating? Completely. And it's doubly amazing that I'm a fan considering that I'm not what you'd call an "animal person," it just shows you how good the show must be.

If you like hearing about Alaska or are at all interested in the natural world I'd highly recommend catching his program. You can sign up for the postcasts here, click on the itunes button and have the shows sent directly to your ipod (like me!) If you scroll down the podcast feed page you can see a list of past episodes and catch up.

Sometimes you can get things from outside of the state--last year he traveled to Australia and did a series of Encounters from all over the continent, talking about bats and kookaburras and kangaroos and all sorts of amazing creatures and I hung on every word. One thing you might try--if you have children who like nature programs (that would be us, I swear I should have an honorary degree in zoology)--you could play the programs for them at night as they're falling asleep which has been popular around here.

Squeeze that education into them any way you can, right?

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions

Calling All Star Wars Geeks

Star Wars was the first movie I remember seeing in a theater. It probably wasn't really the first movie I ever saw, but it's the first I remember seeing and ever since it's been my favorite movie . . . at least until Lord of the Rings came along and knocked it to number two on my list--doesn't that statement probe the depths of my personality?

So when Sarah Henning, director of public relations for the Anchorage Museum, invited me to the press tour for the new Star Wars exhibit I made sure I was at the front of the line when the doors opened, my face pressed up against the glass in eager anticipation.

We got a pre-opening day peek and it was everything a Star Wars geek like me could want--over 80 costumes and props from the movies including the genuine, bona fide land speeder belonging to Luke Skywalker himself, complete with dented fender from bullseyeing womp rats. And you know what I mean if you're in any way a fellow Lucasite.

When I told my kids about the land speeder and mentioned that it was in the first movie they were confused because they thought I meant The Phantom Menace (they are all heathen dogs and consider Episode One: TPM to be the "first" movie no matter how many times I've worked to set them straight). You would not believe how we've gone rounds on the issue, with me insisting that Star Wars is the best of the whole series and that the three most recent episodes stink next to the original three, that Alec Guiness is the only one man enough to play Obi Wan and that someone should have stood up to George Lucas and told him what kind of crazy he was when he came up with the whole Jar Jar Binks thing but have I convinced them? I have not.

I have failed them as a mother.

But regardless, I had one heck of a morning gawking and snapping pictures of Yoda and Wookies and Jedi robes. I got to see R2D2 and C3Po and Princess Leia's original dress--though as a side note and something that was glaringly absent, I didn't see the infamous metal bikini. Funny how today you can ask middle-aged men around the world about that bikini and they'll get the same goofy, starry-eyed look every time. . . .

I even got a kick out of a rather effeminately posed Han Solo. Get a load of the way they've got him standing--like he's an Abercrombie and Fitch model rather than the coolest smuggler in the galaxy. I think Chewie would have smacked him if he'd ever stood like that for reals. But still . . . it's HAN SOLO! How cool is that? "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side."

Ah, they don't write poetry like that any more.

Besides the costumes there were all sorts of miniatures-- Princess Leia's space ship, Luke on a Tauntaun, x-wing and tie-fighters, at-at walkers, star destroyers. I was in heaven. Or at least a galaxy far, far away.

Totally off the subject but while Googling "Tauntaun" to make sure I spelled it correctly (yea, go ahead and mock) I found "Wookiepedia: The Star Wars Wiki" which had this to say on the subject of Tauntauns: "Tauntauns were a species of omnivorous reptomammals who were indigenous to the icy planet of Hoth. Tauntauns were genetically similar to Kybucks and featured a mix of traditionally reptilian features, such as a lack of mammary glands and scaly skin. They were also warm-blooded, covered in fur (which ranged from gray to white), and gave birth to live young. Known subspecies included. . . . " and then it goes on for FOUR paragraphs before diverging into known predators and domestication.

Um . . . yea. I'm not sure if I feel awed or threatened by the person who took the time to research and write that page. Amazing.

But the exhibit wasn't all about the movies--at least not entirely. It's a great time for movie fans who want to see an authentic light saber or Darth Vader's mask but it's also made to teach science: what the movies made up, what real technology can do and what science hopes to be able to do in the future.

On the fourth floor there was a Jawa sand crawler set up as a theater that showed a 20+ minute film about the science behind the movies and on the third floor were some of the best hands-on science stations I've seen in connection with an exhibit.

One station allows you to plan out one of three communities on Tatooine where you place resource tiles on a table and the screen above you projects a 3-D view of how your community would look, giving you a readout of how you're using your resources and protecting your citizens.

At another spot you can build a little car that levitates like Luke's land speeder but using real magnetic levitation technology rather than the gloriously fake "repulsorlift" technology the movies invented. You snap magnetic Legos on your car and send it floating down the track like magic. Or like magnets.

You can interact with a real-life robot to see how technology can mimic cognitive and interactive skills, you can try to make a robot walk and get an idea of how amazing the human body is to be able to master such delicate movements effortlessly and you can take a short ride on a car that uses compressed air to float above the ground and see how hard it is to steer in a frictionless environment.

But the highlight? A full-sized replica of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit where you walk through one of the aircraft's tunnels to sit in Han or Chewie's chairs and make the jump to light speed as Anthony Daniels narrates a five-minute tour through the known universe--all to the rocking tunes of John Williams.

The exhibit runs through April 10th and it's very much worth the time and money to attend. The museum's website has a month or two of lectures to accompany the exhibit, many of them free. A perfect way to spend a day as you're waiting for all that snow to thaw.

And in honor of the occasion, I have here a very official, very cool Star Wars trivia game for your nerd-off pleasure. To see the answers, click and drag your cursor over the blank space below each question and it will magically highlight the answer. I'm only giving you questions from the original movie--because, after all, that's the best one. As I repeatedly tell my poor, ignorant children.

1. What is Princess Leia's last name?

Raised by step-parents, she is known as Leia Organa

2. When Luke was going to buy a droid he was told to make sure it spoke which language?

Bocce

3. In which cell block is Leia being held prisoner?

AA-23

4. Who owned C3PO and R2D2 before Luke bought the droids?

Captain Antilles

5. Luke commented that the trench on the Death Star was just like what place back home?

Beggar's Canyon

6. Where did Princess Leia tell Grand Moff Tarkin that the rebel base was located?

Dantooine

7. Where did "Old Ben Kenobi" live?

Beyond the Dune Sea

8. What was the finishing time for the Millennium Falcon in the Kessle Run?

Twelve parsecs

9. What do Sand People ride?

Banthas

10. What land speeder's debut made Luke's old model obsolete?

XP-38

Score:
10-9 We should seriously hang out. No really.
6-8 Don't tell me you actually think Hayden Christensen can act?!
3-5 So when was the last time you actually saw the movie?
2-1 Bantha fodder.

Sponsored by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors.

Turkey Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

I've learned to love the marriage of savory with sweet. Mango chutney, pineapple salsa, it's all good and this recipe follows the same idea.

It's a great meal to make up when you're in a hurry and it's especially handy if you have leftover turkey and cranberry sauce--say, after Thanksgiving or something?

My kids were nervous at first, they like salsa but they're suspicious of the sweet and savory thing so I didn't give them any kind of a choice in the matter but dished up the plates at the stove and served them myself. Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried the salsa on it. Once they tried it they liked it--the younger two especially, because the older two are pickier eaters.

It got good reviews all around and I'd definitely whip it up next time we've got leftover turkey.

1 14-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small 4-ounce can diced chilies

For quesadillas:
Cooking spray
1/4 cup sliced green onions
12 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 flour tortillas
salt and pepper
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 cup fat-free sour cream

To prepare salsa, combine ingredients and set aside.

Divide onions, cheese and turkey among six of the tortillas, salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining tortillas.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve topped with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Sponsored by Sorella Jewelry Studio for fine personalized jewelry.

Valentine's Day in Other Places

My parents live in Bangalore, India where they are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They'll be coming home in July after three years of living abroad and they've traveled as far north as Nepal and as far south as Sri Lanka and everywhere in between.

They're always out and about, on the road visiting the different groups of missionaries they oversee and while I was talking with them last week my father said that while they've loved the experience and the people they've met they won't miss worrying about the safety of those they supervise.

"Take Valentine's Day, for example," my father said. "In India there is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) political party for extremist Hindus--people call them the 'Hindu Taliban'--and they're extremely anti-Christian. There have been all sorts of violent confrontations between the BJP and Christians in India and for some reason they've centered a lot of their hatred on Valentine's Day."

"What do you mean 'Valentine's Day'?" I asked.

"Well they call it 'Lovers' Day' and they won't allow people to celebrate it. As they've become more powerful groups will go out in the city looking for women they feel aren't dressed modestly or whose behavior is objectionable, even couples who might be out dating. Last year they went into some bars where there were single women and dragged them outside by their hair. In another area they found some young men and women out together and dragged them to a nearby temple and forced them to marry. If they don't like what you're doing they'll beat you as their idea of justice.

"It's become worse and worse and women in India have tried to fight it. A group of them got together and sent party leaders a bunch of thongs in protest and it got some publicity but still there isn't much citizens can do. If they don't like how you're dressed or that you're out of your house on Valentine's Day you might get targeted."

"So what do you do?"

"Well I just have everyone stay home on Valentine's Day," he said.

Of course this is just one story of life in India and don't let it put you off as representative of what every one of the 1.1 billion people there are like, my parents have loved their time there, but the point is that we too often take our simple, safe lives for granted. If I want to go out on Valentine's Day with my husband I can, if I want to go out by myself I can. If I want to go out scantily dressed (heaven help me!) I can even do that. The greatness of a society comes from individuals having the freedom to choose their lives, then choosing good.

I grumble about paying taxes, I grumble about laws I don't like, I grumble about politicians but if I put half the energy I put into complaining into gratitude for what I have I think I'd find happiness that much more attainable.

Sponsored by Polkadot Peacock for children's bedding.

Blissdom 2010, Rain Forests and Oatmeal

Have you ever been to a conference? You know, where you get to be at a gathering of a million people you probably don't know after traveling far from home to stay in a hotel room where you maybe don't sleep so well? I've been to a few of them and while they're usually informative and helpful I can't wait to get home again to all my familiar comforts.

But going to Nashville for the Blissdom conference last week was different. As in WOW, way better! Why was it so fabulous? I'm glad you asked . . .

1. The Opryland Hotel. Usually these things are held in nice hotels--Hilton, Westin, Sheraton, whatever--and while that's all well and good and probably very historical the Gaylord Opryland was better. The rooms were about the same but the hotel itself was like a day at Disneyland--the 2800 rooms are built around this sprawling complex of waterfalls, ponds, fountains and gardens underneath a glass ceiling so even though it's 50 degrees outside and rain (which it was) you could sit by the waterfall and pretend you're hanging out in a rain forest. With your computer.

Because the whole place had upgraded wifi just for the conference--now when was the last time you sat in a rain forest and Skyped your husband? And for those of you who don't know what Skype is that probably sounds rather suspicious but I guess you'll just have to look it up and trust that this is a clean blog.

There are several restaurants right there on the water and it kind of reminded me of the Blue Bayou restaurant at Pirates of the Caribbean. Only it wasn't completely dark and you didn't have mechanical pirates shooting cannonballs at you and the food was half the price and twice the quality. I didn't say it was exactly like the Blue Bayou--only kind of, in a much better way.

2. Complete with a Tea Party. And speaking of the hotel, as proof that it was quite the attraction guess who else was hanging out at Blissdom? Sarah Palin. Apparently she'd heard about a rather questionable piece I'd written and she wanted to speak to me about it. I told her I'd be happy to meet with her after my panels were finished and to wait for me by the iRobot booth but then she got really nervous and decided to ditch me. At least that's the story that's going around.

Of course the other story is that the first ever Tea Party convention was held in the room next door to Blissdom which probably explained all the strangely dressed men in colonial garb and tri-cornered hats. It took me a while to put that one together but then I got it. You've never seen such a long line of people all dressed in various forms of the American flag. Hats, shirts, pants, ties--all with the stars and stripes on it and I felt quite under-dressed.

3. Great Swag. In fact I felt kind of sorry for them, standing for hours in line like that while we were having a lot more fun next door. I didn't want to make them feel bad by showing them all the great swag we'd got because even though they'd paid $550 to get in they didn't seem to have much to show for it.

I got this beautiful pair of earrings from The Vintage Pearl, a gorgeous silver necklace especially designed for the conference speakers at Blissdom from Lisa Leonard Designs and two--count them TWO--pairs of socks and a t-shirt from Hanes. Round that out with cute little personalized tags and stickers for my kids from Mabel's Labels, make-up from Cover Girl and two bags of Hershey's fine Bliss chocolates which have pretty much mysteriously disappeared since last Thursday. Hmmmm . . . wonder what happened to those? Great sponsors who deserve a bit of recognition for helping to make Blissdom so memorable and fun. Maybe the Tea Party can get them to sponsor their next convention?

4. Make That the Best Swag EVER. Though I have to admit my favorite, most bestest swag ever was the authentic, genuine, personally autographed Harry Connick Jr. CD!!! I already mentioned how great the concert was and how I'm standing there with his arm around my shoulder feeling rather sheepish but later in my bag I discovered this latest album signed by the Man Himself.

Best song on it? "Besamé Mucho" or maybe "Mona Lisa." Gorgeous stuff.

As promised, here's the picture of meeting Harry from Darcy at My Three Boybarians and since you're probably wondering who those other women are (top row, left to right) me, Harry, Dana Loesch from Mamalogues, Tannis Miller from Redneck Mommy, Lindsey Ferrier from Suburban Turmoil, (bottom row, left to right) Isabel Kallman from Alpha Mom and Catherine Connors from Her Bad Mother. I believe Tannis threatened him with her cane at some point.

5. Other Tasty Things. All the other conferences I've been to serve food that tastes as if it's been sitting at the Quik-E Mart for several years, gathering bacteria and other flavorful additions but it just goes to show you what happens when you do a conference right. The food was quite good, for lunch on Friday (sponsored by Hunt's) celebrity chef George Duran did a cooking demonstration where he prepared an Italian entree of ricotta-stuffed eggplant and after the show we adjourned to one of the restaurants where we were served the dish to try for ourselves.

Now I have to say that while I was watching him up there he pulled out a long, rubbery, shimmering slice of eggplant and I nearly lost it. I've never been a fan of eggplant and he totally lost all credibility the minute I saw that thing come out but by the time I was sitting at the restaurant, plate in front of me, I was completely starving and I decided to be brave. I took a taste and actually it was very good. And when I say good I mean that you couldn't taste any eggplant at all. Whew! I was nervous there. Anyway, it was great and that's how it was the whole time--good food and plenty of in-between treats.

6. Oatmeal? What Oatmeal? In fact, I really have to give Blissdom credit for all that great food. Orville Reddenbacher, Con Agra, Hunt's--some great sponsors that made for tasty vittles. I'd told Andrew before I left that even with their tv dinners the family would probably be eating better than I would, given the history of conference cuisine, but when I saw the first breakfast spread with that glorious heap of eggs and bacon and all sorts of fattening stuff I was in heaven.

And the best part? They had oatmeal but they put the container at the very end of the banquet table so that by the time I got to it I'd already filled my plate with other tasties. Talk about your good planning! If I'd seen the oatmeal at the beginning of the line I would have felt totally guilty and would have had my sad little bowl of healthy stuff but as it was there wasn't anything I could do--forget the oatmeal, I went right for the good stuff. Thanks Blissdom!

7. Have Some Hot Chocolate! Right outside the conference rooms was the ConAgra Foods booth where they had hot chocolate ready and waiting, complete with aerosol whipped cream. Now that's what I'm talking about. I'd finish a session, run out to the lobby, grab some hot chocolate then lusciously thaw in time for the next round. Though one does have to ask who it was who decided that air conditioning was a good idea in the middle of a Tennessee winter?

8. Great Sessions. Of course I'm probably rather biased here but I thought the sessions were great---enough to give you lots to think about but not so many as to overload you with information.

Saturday morning I was on the "Blogging with the Stars" session where Holly Buchanan moderated Tsh Oxenreider, Melissa Michaels, Dana Loesch and me in a panel discussion about how to grow your blog then later that afternoon I lead the final session of "Memoir Writing: The Power and Mystery of Telling Your Story" and had a great time with Catherine Connors, Tannis Miller and Megan Jordan who are all storytellers that know a thing or two about their craft.

I've been told that the sessions are all going to be transcribed and will soon be available for purchase through the Blissdom site for those who might want to hear what went on.

And as a plug--Megan Jordan, Leslie Flinger and I are looking at putting together a similar panel for the upcoming BlogHer conference in New York this summer called "Controversial v. Commercial: A Cage Match Between Your Independent Blogging Goals and Your Professional Blogging Ambitions" and I'd love you forever if you would go to the link and give it a vote--I believe you have to be logged into the BlogHer site to see the voting links at the top of the page. We'd love to see you there!

And finally--the best part about Blissdom (and I know you'd think it was the food given the way I've gone on about it) was meeting great bloggers and kind people. I tried to write down each person I met so I could give you an idea of the people who were there though I probably missed someone important. I'm afraid the people I knew the best I forgot to write down because I already knew them and even now I keep remembering people I'd forgotten but I'd highly recommend visiting each of them on Twitter and Facebook--if you're looking for people to follow and read here is a great place to start.

Aliza Sherman from Babyfruit
Allison Czarnecki from Petite Elefant
Alli Worthington from Blissfully Domestic
Amanda White from Oh Amanda
Amy Johnson from She Wears Many Hats
Amy Clark from Mom Advice
Amy Turn Sharp from Double-vay
Arianne Segerman from To Think Is To Create
Barbara Jones from The One2One Network
Becky Zemansky from The Violet Fig
Casey Mullins from Moosh in Indy
Catherine Connors from Her Bad Mother
Christine McMenemy from A Mommy Story
Christy Matte at Quirky Fusion
Cynthia from Nap Warden
Dana Loesch from Mamalogues
Danielle Smith from Extraordinary Mommy
Darcie Maranich from Such the Spot
Dawn from My Home Sweet Home
Deanna Garrison from Domestic Chicky
Debba Haupert from Girlfriendology
Ellen Seidman from To the Max
Emily Freeman from Chatting at the Sky
Heather Solos from Home Ec 101
Holly Buchanan from Marketing to Women Online
Isabel Kallman from Alpha Mom
Jamie Reeves from Blonde Mom Blog
Janice Croze from 5 Minutes for Mom
Jenn Fowler from Frugal Upstate
Jennifer Schmidt from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Jenny Viars from Great Little Stories
Jill Anderson from The Diaper Diaries
Jo-lynne Shane from Musings of a Housewife
@justicefergie from Blogalicious Conferences
Katja Presnal from Skimbaco
Katie Howard from Blissfully Domestic
Kim Christopherson from The DIY Dish
Kim Moldofsky from Hormone Colored Days
Kimba Rugh from A Soft Place to Land
Kristi Mendez from Blogger Black Book
Lora Fanning from Vitae Familiae
Laurie Turk from Tip Junkie
Leisa Hammett from LeisaHammett.com
Linda Sellers from Short Pump Preppy
Lisa Leonard from Lisa Leonard Designs
Liz Strauss from Successful Blog
Liza Berry-Kessler from Liza Was Here
Lucretia Pruitt from Geekmommy
Maggie Whitley from Gussy
Malia from Just Malia
Marie LeBaron from Make and Takes
Megan Jordan from Velveteen Mind
Melanie from A Dramatic Mommy
Melanie Nelson from Blogging Basic 101
Melissa Michaels from The Inspired Room
Melissa Stover from A Familiar Path
Melitsa Avila from Play-Activities
Meredith Pelham from Like Merchant Ships
Molly Sandquist from Cooking with Caitlin
Nell Floyd from My 3 Volvo Life
Nicole Bateman from Apron Strings Aflutter
Robin Dance from Pensieve
Sarah Pinnix from Real Life Sarah
Sarah Bane from SaraViola.org
Staci Brown from Simply Staci
Stephanie Precourt from Adventures in Babywearing
Sugar Jones from Sugar Jones TV
Tanis Miller from Attack of the Redneck Mommy
Tsh Oxenreider from Simple Mom
Wendy Piersall from the Sparkplugging network

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Upside Down Apple Pie

I should have posted this on Sunday but I was a little busy (I promise you that this recipe is worth the wait--it will change the way you do apple pie forever. FOREVER.) Pie is my most favorite dessert in the world, I've never met one that I didn't adore and apple pie is at the top of the list right after blackberry pie.

There is a place called Summit Lake Lodge about an hour, hour an a half, south of Anchorage on the Kenai peninsula where you can rent snowmachines and go out on the lake then come back to the lodge for the most amazing home food you can imagine.

They have these hamburgers called Garbage Grinders that are shrines to the word "gluttony" because they have everything you'd possibly want piled on top of a fat patty, including a fried egg--just the way Grandpa used to eat his burgers. If you can finish the whole burger you know that you have crossed over into adulthood.

They also have all kinds of homemade pies including blackberry, which can be hard to find sometimes. Talk about amazing. The only thing about pie is that in our family there's this big issue over "to heat or not to heat." I want pie and I want it gently warmed, probably with whipped cream or ice cream on top. My father, however, insists on his pie unheated--COLD practically. Can you believe it? Not reheated, just straight at room temperature.

It's worse that drinking room temperature milk. Ugh.

But regardless, he's still my father and deserves respect for the role he played in giving me life. Though I will never understand him and will shake my head when he eats his tepid pie. Sigh.

But enough about Dad. As I was saying--Summit Lake Lodge? Terrific place for pie. Sadly, I believe they've had to close. Another sigh. And as I was saying before I got onto that tangent--upside down apple pie? The best apple pie you'll ever have.

If you already have your own recipe for apple pie that you simply must use, great. Use it, the only difference here is that with this recipe you line your pie plate with parchment paper, put a bunch of sweet brown sugar and nuts on top of the paper, followed by your regular apple pie. You don't have to worry about fancy crimping and sealing, you just put it together as best you can (so fill that pie shell as fat as you can get it) then bake it as normal and when it comes out of the oven you invert it.

The crust is perfect, the extra brown sugar topping makes it heavenly and each bite is a love affair in your mouth. Yes, pie can do that to you. Hot or cold. You can find the original idea at Noble Pig, a great food blog I follow.

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
2 ready made refrigerated pie crusts
5 large tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ginger
dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a large pie plate (mine is 10-inches in diameter) with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, the edges sticking up just past the pie plate rim. Coat the paper with a bit of the cooking spray also.

Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and pecans. Mix well and spread in the bottom of the dish over the parchment. Place one of the crusts in the dish over the nut mixture, pushing all around to get the crust securely in the dish and up the sides.

Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Mix well. Spoon into the pie crust and cut the remaining two tablespoons of butter over the top. Place the second crust over the apple mixture. Seal edges as best you can and cut vents in the top of the crust for steam to escape.

Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until crust is golden.

Let pie cool for 5 minutes. Invert hot pie onto a larger plate. Remove the pie plate and gently lift the paper. Gaze at the beauty of your pie.

***

Congratulations to Sherri of Pinetown, North Carolina who won the Whimsy ring giveaway from last weekend. Lovely, lovely goods they have there.

Sponsored by Color Incorporated Digital Prolab for your digital printing needs.

Harry Connick Jr. and the Best Blissdom Yet

Friday night I was one of five hundred women crazy with excitement to see Harry Connick Jr. for a personal concert at the Blissdom conference in Nashville. Go ahead and read that sentence again if you need to, and make sure you're sitting down.

In the Fuse nightclub at the Opryland Hotel we crowded around the eye-level stage with only a velvet rope between me and the man my college roommate used to swoon over nineteen years ago (she's the one who first introduced me to the tunes of Mr. Harry-Met-Sally). We stood in front of the stage area, waiting for about forty minutes with colored spot lights blinding us intermittently, eating too many bacon-wrapped scallops from the h'ors d'oeuvre table and smelling the acrid yet thrilling odor of the fog machines--and I would have waited all night if I'd had too.

Mr. Connick followed his four band members onto the tiny wooden stage where they performed four, count them FOUR, songs in the most glorious, rich and tasty jazz I've ever heard. Now I've loved jazz ever since I became an adult and discovered its power and technicality but this was something I'd never heard. If you want details I'd say it was Dixie but that's like trying to describe the performance by saying he sang in English.

I'd never heard jazz live before and I can tell you I'd have stood there as long as they were willing to play--each note was like the perfect lemonade, balanced and sweet and full of energy and I'd defy you to have listened and not moved with the beat. We're so proud of our digital accomplishments, of the clarity of MP3, of the ability to share and spread music until we can't get away from it but there has be a distinction between our normal, plastic music and the notes they were creating. While the songs were well known and the tunes familiar, plucking those vibrations myself straight from the strings and reeds that produced them was the difference between eating canned, processed corn and harvesting a summer cob straight from the field. Yes it was sweet!

I was in awe and I'd love to have a recording of the performance but it wouldn't be the same. A copy wouldn't convey that connection to the band, the joy of the sound or the energy of their movements. It might give you an idea of what they played but not what they created.

Anyway . . . before the performance Mr. Connick spoke about how he appreciates things like community and people who get things done. How he admires the women in his life and how important it is to do whatever you can to help others within your own sphere. He's been active in rebuilding his hometown of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and he and Branford Marsallis have created what they call the Musicians' Village which is a complex for aspiring performers including housing and support for their education and success. So far they've been able to build eighty homes and do their little part to rebuild and make the world better and you have to admire not only the results of their efforts but the desire to help others that got them there.

So the message that accompanied these glorious melodies? Don't be discouraged in trying to do good things and look around to see what you too can do to make a difference whether it's on a small scale in your own home or in eighty homes--it's not so much the size or amount as it is the fact that something good gets done, which is a hopeful and appropriate message in a time when it's often easy to get discouraged and hopeless for the future. I appreciated that these five men took the time to share a little something with us, something I'll never forget and that made my life just a tiny bit better.

I was impressed but you can see it for yourselves--thanks to Cooking with Caitlin and SouthernPlate.com here are clips of both the speech and the final number. Wish you could have been there. Both clips were filmed from the opposite side of the room from me--I was in front of the saxophonist and loving every minute.

After the performance he stayed to shake hands and take photos--I hadn't intended on saying hello but I was feeling particularly brave after the performance and when I walked up to him I was a little shocked to realize I was a good inch taller than him in my towering heels. They spun me around to get in the photo and I nearly toppled over on those shaky shoes when he put his arm around me on my shoulder. I guess they expected me to smile for the camera but I think I gave them a good deer-in-the-headlights face (or moose if you prefer) so who knows how the shot turned out. I'll have to figure out who has it . . .

P.S. The photos were taken by Dawn at My Home Sweet Home whose Flickr stream you can see here, some rights reserved. Her pictures of the conference are wonderful, she's a talented photographer!

Sponsored by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors.

Whimsy Rings Giveaway

Have you ever seen these rings before? My first intro to Whimsy rings was when they contacted me about a review.

I hope you'll believe me when I say that these are really, really fun rings. Not only are they fun, they're cool--cool enough that my teen daughter promptly confiscated the ring they'd sent me to look at and claimed it for her own.

The whole trick is that the rings have beads that are held in place by a pretty little screw so that you can switch them in and out according to your mood and wardrobe. They come in top quality materials like sterling silver and the beads are completely gorgeous--with styles from glass lampwork style beads to enameled beads to fun little silver animals.

And right now they're offering a Hearts for Haiti set of beads that allows you to support the recovery and rescue efforts in our neighbors to the south. Isn't that something worth taking a look at? My daughter completely loves her ring--and Whimsey has generously offered a ring as this week's giveaway prize.

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Monday morning go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

This giveaway is open to all readers with a U.S. address. Good luck!

Talking with Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet Fame

Greetings from Nashville! Right now I'm sitting in the gigantic indoor garden (complete with waterfall) of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel trying to get my husband to talk with me on Skype (he's not online . . . Andrew? Where are you?)

But before I left Anchorage I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Corwin. Not only has he plenty of degrees in everything from biology to anthropology he has written some books, been in heaps upon mounds of television productions and was even (get ready for trivia) named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People a few years back. Oh, and he's been attacked by an elephant.

Anyway, we chatted about a variety of subjects from education to how he and his family unwind on vacation and I thought I'd share the video clip with you.

Mr. Corwin is working on the Lunchables Lunch Roar and Score Sweepstakes where 10 children will win a fabulous animal tour and trip to Boston, MA with the famous host himself. The website has more details but it sounds like lots of fun--my little future marine biologist wants to enter. In fact, David had one big question he wanted me to ask my guest: "Are poison dart frogs born poisonous?"

For the answer you'll have to watch the video, the answer surprised me a bit.

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