Josh's new sweater

This is a sweater I have been working on for the last few weeks. I gave a lesson last Sunday so naturally I started this new project and read a few new books to make sure I didn't get my lesson done until the last possible minute.

I love the color of this yarn, and I am really enjoying how fast this is knitting up. It's hard to get a good picture of stockinette sweaters mid-knit because they roll, but you get the idea.

Lucinda Williams

We got some free tickets to see Lucinda Williams at Deer Valley. This
outdoor venue is awesome! I don't know much of her stuff but so far so
good.

Milk & Books

Jane shows us what you do when you really want to read a book but you
also really want to finish your milk...

Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

We had a really fun dinner tonight, we had some friends over for dinner and I tried out two new recipes. I thought I would share them with anyone who is interested. I have a long history of making egg rolls and coming to terms with my limitations in the egg roll department, however the fates smiled on me tonight and I think I like this recipe. The dipping sauce is not my recipe, it is from the famed chef Emeril Lagasse, who I don't really care for, though I'm sure he is a nice man.

However, whoever is writing/creating his new recipes for him really did a good job on this one. I noted the changes I made in italics, though I am sure the recipe is great on its own, I just didn't happen to have everything it called for.

Egg Rolls:

Shred in a food processor

1 carrot
¼ red peppers
1 small yellow squash
Thinly slice ½ of a small Napa-- cabbage
Mince 4 cloves of garlic
Mince one knob of fresh ginger

You will also need:
About 2 tsp black sesame oil
About 2 tsp chili oil
A pinch of salt
Egg roll wrappers
-Sauté the garlic and ginger in the oil on low heat until it is tender
-Add the veggies & a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes, until just tender
-Cool completely before stuffing the egg roll papers
-Deep fry 2-3 minutes at 355 degrees
-Serve with sweet and sour sauce


This recipe makes about 15 small egg rolls


Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil I used chili oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped dice these pretty small
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger dice these pretty small and I used about a Tbsp
1/4 cup finely diced pineapple I didn’t use pineapple
1/3 cup rice vinegar I used white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (recommended: Sriracha) I used red pepper paste
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth I used water to make veggie egg rolls but added a pinch of salt to compensate
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and -cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Stir in the pineapple, vinegar, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, and the sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch until smooth. Add to the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and cool slightly.

Pour the sauce into a small food processor or blender and pulse several times, if desired. Alternatively, leave the dipping sauce chunky. Serve warm. I left the sauce chunky cause I didn’t read that last part in my haste to get dinner ready, but it might be nicer to have a smoother sauce. I also garnished it with chopped green onions. I would double this recipe to serve four comfortably.

Enjoy!

Trikes

Sometimes the back patio just isn't enough room to cruise.

My new favorite Drink

You will need:

a large glass of ice
one super cold can of Fresca
the juice of one lime
the juice of one grapefruit

Pour it all in a glass, stir it up and drink it down.

She's a knitter

Last night the kids and I had so much fun in the back yard! The kids did a little swinging and a lot of running around. I started Josh's sweater for this winter. I am so excited to work on another sweater; this one will be open down the front like Jane's, though I haven't decided on buttons or zippers for either of them yet. I am hoping to finish it in the next few weeks and then do all the finishing stuff on both sweaters at the same time.

Last night was a perfect night to start a new project, because of course I have a million other things I am suppose to be doing. But I really can't be held responsible, the weather was perfect and there is nothing more enticing then putting off that which I need to do for a new knitting project.

The Giving Tree

This is now the saddest little tree in the yard. Josh has ripped off five; yes five of its branches over the last few weeks. I'm hoping that Josh is not conspiring to land the death blow. As sad as it is it could still make it. Right guys…… guys?

So I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious

So I* don't know what I'm doing with all these crazy plants. I just put the seeds/plants in the ground and hoped for the best, that being that they didn't die within a week. Now I am staking tomato plants and waiting around with aunts in my pants for the first flower on my pumpkin plant or the first ripe pepper.

I really don't know how this happened but everything (almost everything, curse you, stupid lavender, oregano and fennel) grew. I feel "seriously so blessed" that all that turkey poop worked its stinky voodoo goodness on my garden. Hooray for turkey poop! Nature is cool.

*Camille posting here, not Kgordee

:: Cascade Springs ::

We had so much fun at the springs, we got there about 7:30ish Sunday night and it was perfect out for a nice walk around the springs and a little nature lesson. We saw some chipmunks (apparently the sign said they were squirrels, whatever) lots of birds, fish and flowers.

The kids had lots of questions about everything. I love how well the kids are talking now, they can say and ask for anything, it is so sweet to hear their voices and see their personalities becoming more defined.

Good times.

:: Into the Wild ::

On the 3rd we took a little nature walk up toward Stewart Falls, I say toward because we only made it (maybe) a third of the way(ish). The twins decided that walking was not their thing and they wanted to be carried the rest of the way. So we turned around. Grandpa and Lori and Dave's family continued to the Falls and Grandma and our little family headed back to the parking lot. Oh well.

The kids really liked the catirpilers that were all over the head of the trail. They would pick them up and then put them down, up, down, up, down, I hope they survie. Other than the wailing and all of the complaining we had a nice time, the kids loved seeing the flowers and all of the beautiful trees, they wanted to know what everything is.

Josh and Grandpa led the group for most of the way, to be honest, Josh was really good the whole time. Most of the fuss was coming from, well we don't need to name names here. We hope to go back soon with better results for some of us. This was a sort of mid point in the Jones Family Funtivites Weekend.

In response to kitti's question about why the free t-shirts... These are just shirts with my company logo on them. Free shirt for you. Free advertising for me. You can get an idea of what the shirt looks like, go click here. As for the stickers, you can use them anywhere, not just on your bumper.

Free Stickers

Let me know if you want a cool sticker. These are pretty much standard
bumper sticker size. These are all the rage right now! You aren't cool
unless you have one of these. K, well maybe you can still be cool.
Also, more free t-shirts will be ready in a week. Let me know if you
want one.