Visiting

Today we went to visit with Chuck's mom. After we had a great Mexican lunch we stopped by her place to yak for a bit. We took a loop tour through the sitting area on the first floor and I found the birds to be irresistible. So here are a few shots I got of the birds in the really nice six foot cages that they have for them to fly and enjoy a little bit of freedom without possibility of escape.

King Arthur Flour Baking Demonstrations

I attended two separate classes in Palatine, Illinois held by the King Arthur Flour Company on Thursday. This was not a hands-on cooking class but rather a Demonstration where we all watched and listened to the more than able baker Carolyn, do her thing. They had a video screen and a camera set up for those of us who were not fortunate enough to get a front row seat; we could see everything that was being done projected on the screen, so it was the next best thing.

None of the items that were demonstrated ever made it to an oven in front of us, but rather, just to the point where they would have gone into the oven. It was the first time I ever attended such a class and I came away with a new appreciation for flour, yeast and working with dough. The class had something for everyone no matter your level of expertise; we all came away with some new baking tricks and good basic knowledge regarding bread dough and pie crust.

I did not know that the King Arthur Flour Company was founded in 1790 (When the FIRST George W was in office!) but I have always used their products when I could find them in the market, because I always seemed to get the best baking from it. Turns out there is a reason for that! They have very high standards for the levels of protein that must be maintained in each of their many flours. If the miller does not produce the right product, King Arthur sends it back; there are no artificial anythings, no bromation and no bleach in ANY of their products.

Anyway, the two classes were free, there were lots of door prizes (I unfortunately did not win any..but I still came away a winner with my new baking tips) Everyone got a $10 gift card for the online store, pie crust scraper, some yeast packets and two recipe booklets for some really great stuff.

Here is a look at the group from the first bread demonstration that I attended at mid-day
Here are the door prizes, many bags of flour, some special mixes for scones, popovers etc. along with a cookbook and some bread baking gadgets...and some classic aprons.
This is a shot of some display bread that they had on an exhibit table


Yes indeed...a successful day if I do say so myself!

Plus...if I find myself in the Vermont area I know I can stop by, visit their really cool store and maybe even take in a class or two right there on site...would that be special?!

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, 'My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'

Cat Training

Yes, it looks as though I have had some hidden talents that are only now coming to light...cat training. Chuck has a beautiful cat that is about 6 years old. She is a cat; one that is independent and feisty at times. Anyway, she likes to sit on my chair and watch whenever I do anything that is food related.
The other day she was going crazy when I was putting a salad together. I was using baby spinach at the time so I thought I would discourage her behaviour by offering her a piece of spinach.

She went nuts, couldn't get enough. Kept coming back for more...and more....and some more! Well, you'd think I was giving her bacon or something!





I know this is going to sound weird, but she also (most of the time) comes when I call her. It must be the result of having dogs most of my life!

First Time Meeting

On Saturday I met my aunt Pat for the first time! It was an exciting experience and I was happy to spend the evening with her. She is a very sweet and funny person; too bad I waited so long to meet her. My cousin Darline and her friend came up to the Chicago area to spend the weekend and we had some fun talking about old times.
My aunt Pat grew up in the same area as Chuck, so they got into their own private conversation reliving the old times in Chicago too. We all had a ball and then there were those 5 pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream out of a coffee mug. Man...that's the way to eat that stuff!

5K Challenge Run

On October 26, my hiking and biking friend Patti participated in the Barrington 5K Challenge hosted by Rotary. Much to even her surprise she took second place in her age group! Here she is with her medal:



This is without any serious training, watch out in future races, she is likely to take first place from here on in.

Interesting Concepts

1. God wants spiritual fruit...NOT religious nuts.
2. There is no key to happiness; the door is always open.
3. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.
4. Do the math; count your blessings.
5. Faith is the ability NOT to panic.
6. If you worry, you didn't pray - If you pray, don't worry.
7. As a child of God, prayer is like calling home every night.
8. The most important thing in your house is the people.
9. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
10 Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.