The Coy Pond

A couple weeks ago, Jarrod made his first trip to Alpaugh. You may be asking yourself, “Where’s Alpaugh?” Well, to get there you take Highway 99 north, and about an hour past Bakersfield, you exit and drive 12 miles west. When you reach the tiny patch of run-down, boarded-up houses, you’re there.

The history of Alpaugh is mildly interesting, and was a bit of a surprise to me. Apparently, more than 100 years ago, there was a big lake in the San Joaquin Valley. It was called Tulare Lake. (Who knew?) It was a freshwater lake, and Alpaugh was known as “Pig Island” (or it might have been “Hog Island”… I can’t remember) — interesting, no? I don’t remember the rest of the history, I just like that it was once an island famous for its pigs.

I also think it’s cool that there was once a giant lake up there, and now there isn’t. It’s amazing how dramatically topography can change in such a short period of time! I wonder how much our current news media would completely freak out if such a change occurred today. It would most certainly be a life-changing disaster. There would probably be “Save Tulare Lake” bumper stickers on every third car. The thought is kind of amusing! :)

We went to Alpaugh because they were having a reunion for pretty much everyone who has ever lived there, except I guess not so much for the people who live there now. My dad is from Alpaugh. They made the trip from Oregon, so we met them there.

Grandma Holding Jarrod

I’m not sure what made us think that giving Jarrod a piece of paper to play with was a good idea, but there he is. This picture was taken by Bruce less than half a second before I nearly knocked over the table to grab that piece of paper out of his mouth. No more paper for Jarrod!

(Even when he’s eating paper, he’s just so cute!)

In other news…

Yesterday, I went to the Art Learning and Product Expo in Pasadena. It was lots of fun, I bought a lot of stuff I really didn’t need (but it was so cheap, how could I pass it up?)… and then I took a pastel landscape/seascape workshop. It was so fun!

Here is the painting I produced in the class:

Sunset Over Water
11 x 14 Unison Soft Pastels on Jack Richeson Pastel Gatorboard

The color in the photograph isn’t quite as vivid as the color in the actual painting. It is close, but not exact. (The painting is better!) It was really fun working with a group, even though it was small.

Note: I do not know the source of the photo I used to make this painting. I do know the blog world is quite vast, so if you happen to know the person who took this photo, don’t worry. I’m not going to sell the painting. It’s not my own design. Don’t sue me!

I have also been doing a lot of sewing lately! I absolutely love my new machine!

My New Machine (and the first two projects I made with it)

I love my new machine! So far, I’ve made a bag that is cute but really too small to be useful (pattern from Sew Everything Workshop), and coasters that I absolutely LOVE (pattern from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts). We use the coasters almost exclusively now! They don’t stick to glasses and do a great job of absorbing condensation.

Here is a close-up of the coasters:

I have a lot more sewing planned for my future! Of course, progress depends on precious free time, of which there isn’t much these days. I’m not complaining. :)

Have a nice Sunday, everyone!

Last night, I had the pleasure of tasting Heaven on a Cracker. (Thanks, Greck!) I have thought about those amazing morsels periodically since waking up this morning. I’ve thought about how the leftovers are in my kitchen. I’ve wondered when it will be late enough in the morning to have a snack, so I can taste them once again. I’m also wondering if morning is just not serious enough, gastrically-speaking, for the rich symphony of flavor they provide. I’m looking forward to dinner, because then I can be absolutely sure it will be the right time to taste them once again.

No, I am not kidding.

As a result of thinking so obsessively about those Heaven Crackers, I have decided to compile a list of favorite tidbits. These are not officially in any kind of order, except the Heaven Crackers are pretty much the best thing ever.

1) Heaven on a Cracker: a rosemary cracker topped with a thin slice of drunken goat cheese, topped with a dab of fig spread. Oh sure, you say, that sounds good enough. Well let me tell you, it is not merely “good”. It’s an absolutely perfect combination — the cheese is creamy and has a very mild bite. The spread is rich and sweet, virtually exploding with amazing flavor that only figs can provide. The cracker is crisp, with an assertive yet perfectly balanced herbal hit of rosemary. The simplicity of execution belies the complex, blissful flavor in each and every bite.

Again — no, I am not kidding. OK, moving on…

2) Bacon Wrapped Dates: fresh dates, pit removed, stuffed with a chunk of parmesan and a smoked almond, wrapped in bacon, roasted until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is melted. Actually, the more I think about it, these are just as good as Heaven on a Cracker; they’re just a bit more work. They take a little prep. But when they’re done? They’re creamy, chewy, crunchy, sweet, smoky, nutty, and salty all in one bite! Even people who think they don’t like dates absolutely love Bacon Wrapped Dates. Delicious!

3) Prosciutto Wrapped Melon: a chunk of cantaloupe or honeydew melon wrapped with a thin slice of prosciutto (Italian cured ham). This is exactly as it says. The melon is juicy, sweet and refreshing, made even sweeter by the prosciutto’s salty goodness. Perfect summer treat!

4) Stuffed and Wrapped Figs: fresh figs stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped in prosciutto, roasted until the prosciutto is crisp, drizzled with honey. This is a must-have for fig lovers. Admittedly I don’t make it often, but that is probably because fresh figs are available so infrequently. I really need a fig tree!!

5) Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola: any arrangement, really. I first tasted this combination in a delicious salad at Cafe TuTu Tango at the Block at Orange. The roasted pears take on a rich, sweet, complex flavor that is perfectly complemented by the salty-sharp flavor of gorgonzola. This combination is especially good when enhanced with a drizzle of honey. It is great in a salad, as mentioned, but it’s also great on its own. It’s surprisingly delicious in a sandwich! (Thinly-slice the pears, grill the sandwich a la panini.)

6) Brie with Fruit: many fruits, fresh and dried, work with this. Serve on a cracker. Simple and delicious, the perfect complement to a nice glass of dry red wine. Kick it up with smoked almonds to add a nice salty crunch.

Upon reviewing my list of favorite food combinations, it is clear that I have a thing for fruits + salty cheeses/meats/nuts.

I have always loved sweet mixed with salt, and have been known to eat some pretty wild foods together in the past. Here are a few — some I still occasionally eat, and some I may never eat again:

1) Get a bucket of movie popcorn, NO BUTTER, pour in a box of goobers. YUMMY!

2) Fry up an egg, make some toast. Spread preserves on the toast, add egg, eat as a sandwich. I still do this often.

3) BBQ Lays + Chocolate Hostess Donette Gems — this is one I’m not too likely to relive, but I ate it a lot when I was in high school. It’s important to eat them at the same exact time… one bite, donette and chips. The donettes must be chocolate! (Full-sized hostess donuts — chocolate only — may be used in place of the gems.)

4) PB & J with potato chips directly on the sandwich: who doesn’t love this?

5) Incidental Maple Syrup on Fried Chicken: must be enjoyed at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, and it is important that the syrup be incidental. Pouring syrup directly onto fried chicken is just weird.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I can come up with right now. If you have a favorite unusual food combination, let me know. I’m always interested in trying new things, and who knows? Maybe it’ll be the next Heaven on a Cracker!

We love to make things that no one makes.

A perfect example? We once made pop tarts from scratch. We got a lot of reactions along the lines of, “You made pop tarts? You can make pop tarts??”

We make salad dressings, salsa, sauces for stir-fries, pie fillings, breads, pizza-from-scratch, soups not from cans, cakes not from boxes, biscotti, ice cream, and baby food, among lots of other things. I know we’re not the only people who make items from this list, some might not even be all that unusual. We just like to make things, to consume things we made from raw ingredients. No weird chemicals, no stabilizers, no preservatives beyond good old sugar and salt.

Today, Bruce made sarsaparilla soda.

I just got back from the Miracle Springs Spa and Resort in Desert Hot Springs, CA. I was there for my church’s women’s retreat. The theme was “Tranquil Spirit”. The spa features something like 8 different mineral pools and full spa amenities (massages, facials, pedicures, etc.). Sounds relaxing, right?

I brought Jarrod with me, and shared a room with two friends who also brought their babies. It was fun, and I’m sure I’ll have even more great memories of it later, but we learned something about 1 room + 3 women + 3 babies under 7 months old: not a lot of sleep happens. Not a lot of retreat activities happen, either. Not much tranquility occurs. Also, the room very quickly becomes a maze of pack ‘n’ plays and strollers.

I’m currently very tired. Not so much refreshed. Still, it was a good weekend. I just won’t bring a baby to a retreat again. If I do, I’ll spring for a single room. :)

So anyway, my birthday was last week. Yay! It was a quiet one this year, which is just fine with me. Things are different with a young baby. I really don’t mind, even though normally I am all about big-time celebrating. There will be more years for big-time celebrating. This year, quiet is good.

On my birthday, we ate in. I picked the meal from one of my favorite cookbooks. It was kind of a splurge, although I’ve been doing a lot of splurging lately (lately meaning since I got pregnant many many months ago). Still, I don’t eat steak that often.

grilled NY strip steak on garlic-rubbed grilled potato-rosemary bread
topped with chimichurri
side of sauteed chipotle mushrooms with wilted spinach

It was really quite delicious. It was also quite big; I ate half of it for lunch the next day.

It’s times like this that I wonder why food snobs so often turn their noses up at Rachael Ray. I may not be a huge fan of her shows, but her recipes are some of my favorites!

***

UPDATE: Jarrod now loves pears. I will no longer assume anything about his likes/dislikes after one try (or even two).

Also,

GO DODGERS!!!