Well, she's not 9 yet.

But we celebrated it on Friday anyway.  (Better to do the party now before school lets out .)

Jaclyn decorated the top of the cake with the molecular structure of Theobromine (principle alkaloid of chocolate).  Chloe always chooses a chocolate cake with chocolate icing - her nick name *Coco* is both for her initials and her favourite food.

'DNA Dylan' showed up 5 minutes late for his Mad Science job at our party, which had me a little nervous, but he made up for it by being awesome and very generous with his time once he got here.  He did some cool experiments for the kids and was especially good at being *mad*.

Chloe wore my old lab jacket, and for her friends we made lab jackets a-la Family Fun with plain white mens' t-shirts.  (I don't know why I love dress-up so much at birthday parties.)

After the science stuff was through Chloe wanted to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on the fire pit - I probably could have tied that in to the science thing with carbon and oxygen, but I didn't.

The party guests sang something new at the end of "Happy Birthday" that I haven't heard before - I can't even tell you what it was, all I know is *and many more on channel four* is so last year.  (Three candles left burning still meant three boyfriends - some things haven't changed.)

(Chloe opening her last gift with her teeth.)  

When one mom arrived at the end of the party and looked around at the opened gifts, she told me it looked like we'd had a baby shower.  Darn it, that's what we should have done.  Chloe is very in to playing mommy to her baby dolls these days, and the gifts reflected that.  She got a stroller, preemie diapers, doll clothes . . . a baby shower theme party would have been perfect!

(Although I don't know how well-entertained 9-year-old-girls would be sitting around talking about labour and delivery.)

This week I'm getting ready for Chloe's birthday party coming up on Friday.  She wants a science party since her idol (Jaclyn) adores chemistry.  

(BTW: Jaclyn placed 49th in the country on the Waterloo Chemistry Exam this year written by thousands of students nation wide with the top 200 names being published.)

I've hired Mad Science to come entertain at the party, and Chloe and I have assembled invitations, decorations, and treat bags all with design elements from the periodic table purchased here.  

 (After I purchased the birthday PDF files from etsy, Jaclyn went and made a periodic table of the elements thank-you card for her chemistry teacher all by herself.)

A few weeks ago I tried to get satellite radio installed in Ken's truck while he was in the middle east.  Due to an ordering error by the shop the new technology didn't go in until after Ken came home, but before he made that long drive to Moab and home again, which was really the point.  It was his early Father's Day present and now I have to figure out what to do for actual Father's Day.

Back on May 28th our junior high had their mainstage production.  Once again Steven worked as a tech (the BEST according to the director).  The production this year was a compilation of legends from Africa.  I loved what Miss Shaw wrote in the program:

So often the stories we hear from Africa are heartbreaking, overwhelming accounts of war, famine and disease . . . but Africa is so much more than this.  The people of Africa are filled with strength, beauty, courage and wisdom.  Tonight we are celebrating the stories that remind us that no matter where on the planet we were born, we share so many common experiences and dreams.

Miss Shaw spent last summer in Africa providing inservice for local teachers there, which inspired the school play this year.  In addition to performing the legends of Africa, all proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction at intermission went to a charity effort initiated by student leadership.  They are trying to raise enough money to build a school in Africa, how great is that?  Never mind bleachers for the gym, they want $30, 000 to help kids on the other side of the world.

Last week student leadership sponsored a fun run/walk-a-thon for the *Building Hope Campaign* as they're calling it.  In the assembly before the walk-a-thon the students were recognized for another charitable effort they've been involved in saving pull-tabs for the Ronald MacDonald House of Southern Alberta.  Our school placed 3rd in the inter-school contest to see who could save the most tabs.  Steven and Carmen both came to the front to accept the certificate and ribbon.  Steven initiated the program in our school two years ago, but Carmen helped this year and is carrying it on next year.  All the students in the school were awarded certificates for MacDonald's Restaurant yogurt parfaits and the school itself was awarded some science materials kits.

As for me, I've been busy with Relief Society weekday meetings.  Carmen came looking for me the other day and asked what I was doing.  "Relief Society," I answered.  She told me I was always doing that, and I reminded her that before this I was always doing Young Womens.  We're trying to have a daytime meeting and an evening meeting every month.  Our daytime meeting this month was all about food - 3 month emergency supply menus & frozen treats for summer.  Our evening meeting this month is all about summer activities with leaders from children and youth auxiliaries speaking on what can be accomplished in Cubbing, Scouting, Personal Progress, Duty to God, and Faith in God during summer months.  Our other class is just for fun stay-cation ideas in and around the city.

At the last minute we added the Summer Bucket List sand pail idea I found here, only we're doing it in vinyl.  The response for this one has been staggering and I think we're going to be short supplies for how many women want to make and fill one of these buckets.  What I'm learning is that we RS Sisters really like a craft.
Now if only I can come up with a craft for the 'Using the Preach My Gospel manual in the Home' class I think we need to do.

Moab *2010*

The other day Jaclyn was bemoaning the fact that in a week she will have completed all the french learning that Alberta Education has to offer her, and she still doesn't feel like she can really speak french.  Maybe YouTube would have provided a better education:

Here's a little Chloe for Ya

Chloe is nothing if not persistent.  She just kept on reminding me that she wanted a chore she could do for money.  It took me a long time to apply myself to finding her a job, but I'm sure she wasn't worried.  She knew she'd have her way eventually.  And now she is policing the rest of the family to keep our garbages from getting so disgusting - that has turned out to be the best part.

Chloe helped me set the table on Sunday, and then insisted that everyone wait on the side of the kitchen to be *seen to their table*.   Someone pointed out that the chef doesn't see people to the table. Why do older siblings have to do that?

This is the level of intensity on the soccer field.

I don't really known why Chloe was given a penalty kick, and she couldn't remember later.  I do like Carmen's camera angle on this shot.  I relaxed (see me waaaay at the back of this shot) while Carmen ran around taking pictures wherever the action was.  Older siblings don't have to do that, but I'm glad they do.

Ken's Home from Saudi and Abu Dhabi

Or at least, he was.  And then he turned around and went right back out the door (with Steven this time) and left for a bike trip to Moab.  The little girls were a little unhappy about it - Carmen even asked: "Why do you have to go again??? Can't mom take Steven to Moab?"

While Ken was away he missed some weird & wonderful cooking.  Carmen took this picture of Kelly's Lemon Meringue Cake (wonderful).  She also managed to capture our Donvier ice cream maker which is out from making Avocado Ice Cream (weird), and the lemons I canned (weird or wonderful?) as a first step to a Moroccan Chicken recipe I want to try after the lemons pickle for a month.

Kelly's blog is private so I can't link you there, but here is the recipe copied from her blog:

Lemon Meringue Cake

This recipe originally came from Martha Stewart in the mid-90's, but you can't find this exact one on her website any more (what up, Martha?), so I'm just going to put it here in it's entirety.  I still have the print out from the 90's, and so I'm happy to have it in a more permanent form.  

Make the lemon curd first. 

Lemon Curd Filling

(Makes 1 1/2 cups)

4 large egg yolks

2 large whole eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (this is roughly 2 large lemons)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces

Zest of 2 lemons (how handy!)

1.  In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, and lemon juice.  Place over low heat (medium, maybe depending on your stove), and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.  (You will know -- all of the sudden it's just thick.)  Remove pan from heat, and stir to cool slightly.

2.  Strain curd through a sieve set over a small bowl.  (Do not skip this step, or you will have bits of cooked egg in your lemon curd.  Unseemly.)  Add butter, a piece at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition.  Stir in lemon zest, and let cool completely. 

Lemon Meringue Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature, plus a bit more to butter the cake pans.

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus a bit more to dust your cake pans.

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of 2 lemons

Lemon Curd Filling (recipe above)

Swiss Meringue (recipe below)

1.  Heat oven to 350•.  Butter two round 8-by-2 inch cake pans.  Line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour, making sure to coat pans evenly.  Tap to remove any excess.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes (don't skimp).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes; scrape down sides.

3.  Reduce mixer speed to low.  Slowly add sifted flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk a little at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.

4.  Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans, and return to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.  (if you have the time, it wouldn't be a bad idea to put them in the freezer before the next step -- it will make cutting them easier!)

5.  To assemble, turn cakes upside-down onto cardboard cake rounds and remove parchment paper.  Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally.  You will have four layers.  (Martha is a bit overly explanatory, no?)

6.  Spread 1/3 of the lemon curd filling over the bottom layer.  Top with the second cake layer, and spread with 1/3 more of the filling.  Remove the cake round from second cake.  Top with third cake layer.  Spread with remaining filling.  Top with fourth cake layer.  Chill assembled cake until set, at least one hour, or overnight is fine, too.

7.  Heat oven to 400•.  Using an offset spatula, spread the Swiss Meringue all over the cake, making decorative swirls.  Place cake, still on cake round, on a Silpat lined baking sheet (you could also use Parchment paper, Martha, please.)  Transfer to oven.  Bake, watching carefully, until meringue has browned around edges and begins to brown elsewhere, 3 to 5 minutes.  (You could also use a blow torch if you have one.)  Transfer cake, on round, to a serving plate.  (This is tricky!)  When slicing cake, run a knife under hot water, then wipe dry, and cut.  Repeat with hot water between slices.

Swiss Meringue

6 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Combine the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer.  Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.

2.  Transfer the bowl ot the electric mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes.  Use immediately.

The cake turned out so pretty. Jaclyn thinks it could be inspiration for a wedding cake, though she would do chocolate cake beneath the meringue - the lemon cake tasted too much like my lemon bread recipe (not special enough).


I really, really loved the Swiss Meringue. Heating the ingredients before whipping changed the texture significantly. I'll never do *regular* meringue again.

Minor Alterations

(my favourite kind of sewing)

I bought a great dress at Winners two weeks ago.  It is an ivory cotton/silk blend with tiered ruffles on the skirt and hand sewn beads and pearls.  Unfortunately it was a little short, even on me.  The thing is, it had full sleeves so I was determined to make it work, and as it turned out it wasn't that hard.  

I sliced off the top of the matching full slip and made it into a longer half slip with an elastic waist (which was hardly needed because it got a lot tighter when I pulled it down onto my hips).  Luckily, the slip was cut on the bias and stretches where I need it to stretch.  Plus, something about the bias makes the new layer of length below my dress look like it is gathered on just like the other tiered layers - don't ask me how.

Poof! *Making it work* has never come easier.  I was talking to a friend the other day who is so tired of 'making it work' and not being able to buy stylish clothes that are modest (her 'stylish' requirements are more stringent than mine).  Usually I feel her pain, but the quick fix on this dress has me feeling far more victorious than shopping alone ever could!

I almost wore my new success today, but I wasn't quite in the mood.  It was more of a skirt and sweater kind of day.  (Or maybe I just don't want to admit my real motivation to wait and show it off at stake conference next week  - ha!)

Carmen

Carmen has her own blog now, and it seems silly somehow to repeat what she's already posted about.  Everyone who is interested in seeing a couple of numbers from Carmen's year-end choir concert can watch her Puttin' on the Ritz over at her own blog.

She hasn't posted about returning to soccer yet, so I'll take that one.  (Though my duplication dislike falls apart at this point because I'd like to read what she has to say about soccer and I hope she posts about it sometime even though I'm writing about it from my perspective.)

I have to say, I was a little surprised when Carmen decided to go out for soccer this spring, and I almost tried to talk her out of it.  She's been away from soccer for a couple of years (choosing riding over soccer) plus she's now U12, which is a competitive league.  I thought it would be too rough, fast, and basically hard for her.

I'm happy to be wrong.

Although she signed up for social reasons (Elliott) Carmen has been having the best time with soccer and has blown me away with her work ethic and courage on the field.  I'm amazed and impressed.

(The Elliott part is working out to.)

I'm thinking about holidays

It must be the weather.  We're supposed to hit a high of 27°C tomorrow!  Ah, summer.

Ken doesn't seem to be feeling the urge to plan holidays the way I am, but that could have something to do with the 11 days he's spending in the middle east (the Middle East) at the end of May, followed by his biking trip to Moab with Steven at the beginning of June, and then a little further off is the Interbike Show in Vegas in September.  He and I live very different lives for people who live together.

Back to summer holidays.  There's Steven's usual football season keeping us home in August (how did 2 years in a row, this will be the 3rd, make something usual?), and now something new (the new usual I'm afraid) of Jaclyn holding down a full-time summer job.  I blogged about this, right?  Or did Jaclyn just Facebook about it?  She's working in the Chem Lab for Ken's company.

So it's not so easy to book time away as a family.  It has been suggested to me that Ken and I could just take the younger 2 or 3 children away and leave Jaclyn behind, but I have a really hard time leaving my children.  (More about that later.)  What I'm looking at, then, is weekends.  And the weekend I have my eye on is the August long weekend (it's a Canada thing - can't have a month without a statutory holiday).  Jaclyn will get off at noon on the Friday, and not be expected back at work till Tuesday morning - the same Tuesday football starts.  It's our only chance, so I'm grabbing it.  I've booked a condo in Whistler, BC for the weekend and I'm just hanging on, and basically living for, July 30th.

Now, about leaving the kids.  We've done it a few times, the longest trip was 10 days (I started missing the kids around day 7).  But our 20th Wedding Anniversary is coming up at the end of this year, and I want a little more than dinner out.  I want to reclaim Ken as mine, which basically means taking him away from the kids who think he is theirs.

I came up with a plan a few months ago:  I want to go on a bike tour in some Mediterranean-European  country.  I haven't been a biker, but Ken is, and I'm willing to learn (especially for a trip to Italy).  I proposed the idea to Ken and he asked, "Are you willing to put an ocean between you and your children?"  I was a little surprised myself that I could answer, "For this, yes."

A month ago I went on my first road ride with friends:

I was weak, it was simultaneously miserable and fun, but better than whatever I would have spent that morning doing (cleaning house, what else?).  

That ride was followed by a month of terrible weather, which allowed me to heal from my wicked road rash on my elbow from falling over while still clipped in to my pedals.

Finally, last Friday, I got the chance to road ride with Ken.  Once again, I was weak, but this summer is all about seeing if I can get strong enough on a bike to make a vacation of it.  (Eliminate the miserable completely, that's the real goal.)

At this point there are still some barriers to my big 20th Anniversary Trip idea.  Ken doesn't want to go on a 'pleasure ride' (his words, though he has since recanted), and that darn volcano in Iceland making the ocean that could potentially be between me and my kids seem that much larger.

New Wheels

Jaclyn and Steven each got a new set of wheels in the last month.  Steven got two, Jaclyn got four (there, behind Steven).

Steven's paying for half of his, but he doesn't have his half paid off yet.  I'm nervous to have him take his new bike places because I fear that it will be stolen before he takes it to Moab the first week of June, and then what would he do?  His bike actually cost more than Jaclyn's car so I see it as a real theft target.

Ken and I were pretty proud of our car purchase for Jaclyn.  It's not her car in that she didn't pay for it and it's not hers to take with her when she goes away to college, but it is hers in that it is in her name and she is on her own insurance policy (somehow this was the legal advice to limit liability from extending to Ken and I).  Anyhow, we really feel like we bought the perfect used car.  Ken spent a lot of time watching Kijiji, and when this one came up we knew we'd found something good - we snapped it up right away.  It had low km's, had the same owner for the past 12 years, hardly any rust, and the price was right: $1400.  Its' a '92 Camry, so it's older than Jaclyn. It was listed as silver, but it's really purple, which actually Jaclyn loved.  She called it slurple (silver/purple) and was even working on making that a proper noun, dubbing the car Slurple.

Unfortunately, as of yesterday morning Slurple is looking like the Phantom (as in of the Opera) with a good side (above) and a not so pretty side (below).

The accident was right by the high school with another high school student.  Jaclyn was at-fault, and we didn't put collision on this car, so go ahead and feel bad for her (but save a little sympathy for Ken and I!).  She was still on her first tank of gas.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.  So the pain is all financial.  And a little bit of worry.  Mostly I just hope this is a lesson learned.

Happy Mothers Day

Siesta

I cooked a good dinner tonight, which just proves that having a plan means we can eat well - even on a Wednesday.


We ate Mexican for Cinco de Mayo, a holiday we've never celebrated before, but we brought home some flour tortillas from Arizona (as well as some Mexican cane sugar Coca Cola) back at Christmas and it was about time we ate them!


I made these steak fajitas:

steak fajitas with peppers

Prep: 1 hour 

Marinate: 2 to 4 hours 

Cook: 6 minutes 

ingredients

• 12  ounces boneless beef skirt steak or flank steak

•   Marinade:

• 1/3  cup cooking oil
• 1/3  cup lime juice
• 2  fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3  Tbsp. sliced green onions (2)
• 2  Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/4  tsp. salt
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 8  8-inch flour tortillas
• 1  Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1  medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1  medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 3/4  cup chopped tomato (1 medium)

•   Purchased Guacamole (optional)
•   Salsa (optional)
•   Dairy sour cream (optional)

directions

1. Trim fat from meat. Partially freeze meat for about 30 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain into bite-size strips. Place strips in a plastic bag set in a deep bowl.

2. Meanwhile, for marinade, in a small mixing bowl, combine the 1/3 cup cooking oil, lime juice, jalapeño peppers, green onions, cilantro, salt, and garlic. Pour marinade over beef strips in bag. Close bag tightly; turn to coat beef strips. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degrees F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

4. Meanwhile, drain beef strips; discard marinade. In a large skillet heat the 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweet pepper. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet.

5. Add beef to the hot skillet. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. Drain well. Return all vegetables to skillet. Stir in tomato. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.

6. To serve, fill warm tortillas with beef-vegetable mixture. If desired, top with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Roll up tortillas. Makes 4 servings.

Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare the filling as directed. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.

nutrition facts

• Calories 479, Total Fat (g) 19, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 40, Sodium (mg) 801, Carbohydrate (g) 54, Fiber (g) 1, Protein (g) 23, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

And we served them with this salsa, which must be making the popularity rounds because I got the recipe from 2 different people in the last week:

avocado-feta salsa

Makes: 12 (1/4 cup) servings

Prep: 20 minutes 

Chill: 2 hours 

ingredients

• 2  plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1  avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
• 1/4  cup finely chopped red onion
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 1  Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley
• 1  Tbsp. snipped fresh oregano
• 1  Tbsp. olive oil
• 1  Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
• 4  oz. feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

•   Pita chips or tortilla chips

directions

1. In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, oil, and vinegar. Stir gently to mix. Gently stir in feta cheese. Cover and chill for 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Serve salsa with pita or tortilla chips. Makes 12 (1/4 cup) servings.

nutrition facts

• Servings Per Recipe 12 (1/4 cup) servings Calories 63, Total Fat (g) 5, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0, Cholesterol (mg) 8, Sodium (mg) 106, Carbohydrate (g) 3, Total Sugar (g) 1, Fiber (g) 1, Protein (g) 2, Vitamin C (DV%) 7, Calcium (DV%) 5, Iron (DV%) 1, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

I haven't really used Better Homes and Gardens for recipes before, but the food was DYNAMITE and I will visit again when I want to try something new.

For dessert we had Mexican Brownies (from Family Fun Magazine), which aren't even my favourite brownies so why have I eaten 3 squares?

Mexican Brownies

3 oz unsweetened chocolate squares

1/2 c butter

Melt together, then cool 15 minutes

3 eggs whisked till foamy

1 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk together till well combined, then add in cooled chocolate mixture till thoroughly combined.

3/4 c flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

Mix, then stir into wet ingredients

Fold in 1 c chopped pecans

Bake 350 x 20-25 minutes in a 9x13 pan.

Right now I am having a modern siesta, which involves vegg-ing in front of my laptop.  It's probably not as rejuvenating as a real siesta, but somehow it is the path of least resistance.

Other thoughts that have been on my mind following 2-weekends-in-a-row of continuing education courses:

1. Omega-3, people!  Reduce the inflammation in your body! (flossing helps, to)
2. Change Theory is pretty much the repentance process.
3. And the most fascinating dental information I've heard in a long time:  stem cells can be found in the pulp chambers of teeth, and they're being used to grow organs!  So maybe instead of throwing away our wisdom teeth (or baby teeth if you catch them at just the right stage of wiggly-ness) we should bank them here.  How's that for a non-controversial stem cell source?

And with today being Cinco de Mayo and the fact that my nephew is going to learn Spanish this summer in order to teach the gospel in Paraguay for a couple of years, I'll say good night:

Buenas noches.