Christmas Card - 2013

Our Christmas Card theme this year was based on the layout of a yearbook.

It's printed double-sided and folded, so picture it that way:

And the inside spread:

Wanting to Be Known

I've always wanted to be known. That's why I started this blog. That's why I've applied for no less than 8 reality shows in my life (no joke). That's why

I think that maybe one thing I've learned through this whole thing is that I don't really want to be known after all.

Not in the Hey-World-Look-At-Me-And-What-I've-Done sort of way, anyway.

(It seems like a foolish wanting, now that I sit here an think about it, and I am happy to abandon it. I'm not quite sure why I ever wanted it in the first place.)

But I think that what I do want is to know and be known, in terms of human connection.

Getting to know people better, and having others get to know me. (Neither of which I am inherently good at.)

Marc Barnes wrote, in this article about the anthropological origins of the duck-face pose: The problem with popular photography is not that it makes a relation to the person photographed difficult, but that it professes to make it easy, when relation to another person is the most difficult, terrifying task in the universe.

And that it is, my dear readers, that it is.

I think about people who hug other people so easily in this world. It seems like most people do, at least in my world anyway. Everyone around me likes to hug.

But I do not.

And then I watch this video:


And I think about how powerful the human touch can be as a means of connection.

And I think about how far I have to go.

(Not that hugging people is necessarily causal or correlative to how I connect with people... but it is something, you know?)

Curiosity

So, I've been thinking about my mood some more after having written about it last week.

Vern said to me the other night, that it must be exhausting trying to figure stuff out all the time. Like why I feel a certain way. Why things happen. What I need to learn from any given situation. He said that in itself sounds exhausting.

And he's right.

Yet I continue with my thinking. My examining things to the nth degree.

It's just being myself, I guess. Because I am a curious person and being curious is just what I do. Being curious generally doesn't bother me, it just makes me feel a little weird and annoying sometimes.

Because I am the type of person who sees a picture somebody posts on facebook and asks, "What is that envelope on your counter?" Or, if somebody says they saw a cow dressed as Liza Minnelli walking down the street in Stillwater, I'll ask, "What were you doing in Stillwater?"

I am curious, and, for whatever reason, I like to know all the pieces that make up the greater whole. Of anything in life, really.

I've noticed that other people, most people, are not this way. If they come to my house, they do not ask questions about what is on my fridge. When they're playing poker, they don't ask a series of dumb questions, starting with, "Did you ever used to watch Blossom?"

I am a strange bird. I acknowledge that.

And it is exhausting.

And, no, I haven't figured out any of the answers to the questions I was pondering last week.

The Real Story

Remember when I wrote that maybe one day I'll tell you how I really felt about the premiere of "Midwife"? Well, today's the day!

I am here to tell you that it was one of the most unfulfilling moments of my life.

Why is this? you may ask. Wasn't it a grand success? Wasn't it everything you hoped it would be in more.

And that's the thing... it was all of that. It was great. It was wonderful. It as awesome.

So, why was it so unfulfilling? I don't know. You tell me.

Most of it probably hinges on the fact that I couldn't relax into the moment and enjoy it.

I didn't have one moment during the premiere where I just sat back and said to myself, "Ah, this is nice."

Which got me to thinking, if doing something like this doesn't end up being fulfilling, what is the point in doing it?

Because the past several months... in finishing up the movie, promoting it, getting sponsors, organizing a screening, designing the DVD jacket, ordering DVDs... have been the most stressful months of my life. And then, to not even have one moment of fulfillment after it is all said and done... is it all worth it? And why?

(I am really asking this, so please comment, either to this post or on the facebook link to it. I would really like to get others perspective on this, to help me figure it all out.)

I don't think I would want to do anything like this ever again, because I don't want to put myself through that amount of stress again.

I did everything, all by myself, and experienced a great deal of stress and responsibility because of that. But not only that, the bigger thing was the fact that I was putting something out there for people to look at and make judgments about, to like or not like. And that was hard.

Where does the balance come in with creating something for the mere sake of creating it, and balancing that out with the approval I seek from others.

Remember that episode of The Office, where they were making a tower of complaint cards, and Pam, who was a people-pleaser, never had a complaint against her? And then she calls up a client and gets a complaint? At the end, when she's working on her mural, she says:

"If you're an artist, you have to be okay with the idea that you can't please everybody all the time. I mean, do you think Kevin cares what people think about him? Or Creed? Or Meredith? Oh my gosh, these are my role models now. (pause) You know what? I'm okay with that."

And that's what I need. I need Kevin from The Office to be my role model. I have a problem with seeking other people's approval, and doing all of this just brought that to the forefront. And I don't want to be like that.

After the premiere, I was expecting to be able to breathe again. When I was driving from the premiere to the after-party, I thought I would exhale and  feel normal again.

But I didn't. I still felt stressed, even after it was all said and done.

For several weeks after, and even today, all I want to do is sleep. I'm not tired, even, and I'm getting enough rest. Yet all I want to do is just... sleep.

My friend did some autocross racing in a parking lot last weekend, and she was talking about how after her first run she felt completely exhausted. Her body had experienced an adrenaline rush while racing, and was coming down from that. So, I feel like my body is slowly coming down from months of an adrenaline surge of stress. Or something.

I don't feel normal yet. I don't feel like myself.

And I don't know what I'm supposed to learn from all this. I don't know if it is good, to give myself challenges in life, and to grow and learn from them (part of me says yes). Or if putting myself through that is just not worth it (part of me says yes to this as well).

So, help me out here, dear readers. I really want your feedback on this.

What is the point of it all?

Midwife Premiere

Sorry I haven't been writing (except for pizza recipes).

For those of you not connected with me on facebook, I just wanted to share with you a little bit about how the premiere of my documentary "Midwife". Maybe one day I'll write on here what I was really feeling, but, for now, you can read about it here:

http://www.midwifethedocumentary.com/blog.html

Oh, also, a thing that was kind of cool was that I met someone who was a fan of Goofy Mama (presumably from the days when I posted more than pizza recipes), and she heard about the movie and came to it and wanted to have her picture taken with me.

And here it is:

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Pizza

This was pretty yummy. (Based on this recipe.)

• 1-1/2 cups of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• Sriracha sauce, to your liking (we used about 3 T)
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 16 oz pasta (your choice, we used fuscilli)
• 4 slices of Provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
• 1 rib of celery, thinly sliced
• Pizza doug

Instructions:

1. Make the your pizza dough (you should know the routine by now). And put on a pizza pan (we use a cookie sheet).
2. Cook chicken. Add the cooked chicken to another small mixing bowl, and toss in the Sriracha sauce, coating the chicken.
3. Next, make the macaroni and cheese. Cook your pasta, just before al dente, drain and set aside. In the meantime, melt your butter in a sauce pan. Once the butter is nice and bubbly, toss in the flour, and stir. Cook, and continue stirring on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add in the milk, and continue cooking until you have a nice, thick sauce. Keep stirring as you do not want any clumps. Add the noodles to a mixing bowl, and toss in the cheese. Pour the thickened sauce into the bowl, and give a few good stirs. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To your pizza dough, lay down the four slices of provolone cheese, and arrange accordingly. To that, add on the macaroni and cheese, and spread that on top of the entire pizza, close to the edges. Top that with the cooked chicken, and shower with blue cheese crumbles.
5. Bake at 500 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden, and the macaroni and cheese is nice and bubbly.
6. Remove and drizzle a bit more Sriracha sauce over the top.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

This was just okay. (Original recipe found here.) Tasted like mashed potatoes on a pizza. I guess it's for those people who are eating a potato and say to themselves, "Gee, this potato could really use some more carbs."

• Pizza dough
• 5 whole Russet potatoes, peeled and cleaned, cut into quarters
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• generous pinch of salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk
• 16 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 whole green onions, sliced
• 2 cups of cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cook your potatoes and mash them with butter and milk. Add the cheese and green onions to the potatoes. Reserve a few green onions to sprinkle over the finished pizza.

Spread the mixture over the crust and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

BBQ Chicken and Blue Cheese Pizza

This was yummy.

Pizza crust
1 cup barbecue sauce
1-1/2 cups chicken, cut up
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
4 plum tomatoes, sliced

Top pizza crust with barbecue sauce and all the ingredients. Bake at 500 degrees to 10 minutes.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

This was very yummy. Based on the recipe found here.

2 chicken breasts, cut up
1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing, plus 2 tablespoons
Pizza Dough
2 cups shredded mozzarella 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
 

For Salad Topping:

4 cups hearts of romaine, shredded
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup seasoned croutons
 

In a bowl, combine cut up chicken breast with 1/2 cup salad dressing; set aside. Brush pizza crust with remaining 2 tablespoons of dressing and top with cheeses; set aside.

Remove chicken from salad dressing and cook in skillet for 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet  and place on top of pizza.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

For the topping:

While pizza is cooking, toss shredded romaine with lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup dressing and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Toss and set aside.

Remove pizza from oven. Top with salad and garnish with croutons. Drizzle with a little more salad dressing and serve.

Blue Cheese and Caramelized Shallots Ice Cream

Our final Ice Cream Sunday of the year. (I apologize to those of you playing along.) I was saying that next year we should try Delicious Ice Cream Flavors, but we just might do this again. We still have some recipes for unique ice creams that we didn't get to this year.

But, as for this one, I thought it was pretty good, although it does taste like what the name suggests. The original recipe is found here:

1/2 cup sugar (for custard)
2 tablespoons sugar (for shallots)
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 ounces mild blue cheese
3 small shallots, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon butter or oil

1. Fry shallots over medium-high heat with the butter, stirring constantly until the are golden.

2. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to fry until the sugar has melted and the shallots have turned a dark golden brown. Spread on a tray to cool.

3. Beat the rest of the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.

4. Bring the milk to a simmer.

5. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.

6. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly and just coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely.

7. Chop the blue cheese and put in a blender with half of the custard – pulsing until smooth.

8. Stir the blue cheese/custard mix back into the rest of the custard, cover, return to the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least two hours.

9. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip). Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.

10. Freeze in your ice cream machine, adding the caramelized shallots when the ice cream is already quite solid. Transfer to a freezer-proof covered container, place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

"Midwife" Tickets

If you live in the Twin Cities, tickets are now on sale for the premiere screening of my documentary, "Midwife".

Click the link below to purchase tickets:

https://midwifethedocumentary.eventbrite.com/

And here is the trailer for the film:

Midwife Documentary - Trailer from Allison Kuznia on Vimeo.

Smoked Salmon and Sweet Potato Pizza

Loved this pizza. Great combination of ingredients. Great taste. And my daughter made the whole thing all by herself! (Inspired by this recipe.)
 
Ingredients

• 1 large pizza base
• 1 large sweet potato
• 8 oz smoked salmon
• 8 oz sour cream
• 2 cup grated cheese
• Fresh thyme
• 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 390 degrees.
2. Spread sour cream on pizza base and top with half of the grated cheese.
3. Slice sweet potatoes as thin as you can. Chop salmon into bite sized pieces.
4. Arrange potato slices and smoked salmon on top of pizza. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked, cheese is golden and pizza base is cooked through.
5. Gather fresh thyme and cut some thin lemon slices. Top pizza with lemon slices and thyme and bake for a further 5 minutes.
6. Squeeze lemon juice over pizza or serve with lemon wedges.

Tandoori Paneer Pizza

I adapted this recipe from here. It was good, but nothing extraordinary.

For the Marinade

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ginger, finely grated or paste
• 2 tsp garlic, finely grated or paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp cilantro leaves
• 1 cup paneer cheese, cubed

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade.
2. To the remaining marinade, add the paneer cubes.
3. Mix and let marinade for 15 to 30 minutes.

Assembly

• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp Sriracha (or chili sauce)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (a combination of colors looks beautiful but anything works)
• 1 medium potato, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Slice the potatoes, onions, and peppers, I use a mandolin. Keep the potatoes separate from the onions and peppers.
3. Spread out the dough on a sheet pan or round pizza pan.
4. Mix the tomato paste, honey and chili sauce. Spread onto the pizza dough in a thin layer.
5. Slice the potato. In a bowl, mix the slices of potato with 1 tbsp of the paneer marinade and coat evenly. Spread the slices onto the pizza.
6. Spread the onion and pepper mixture on top of the potatoes.
7. Pick out the paneer cubes from the marinade, place evenly over the pizza.
8. Place the pizza in the oven for 20 minutes.
9. Pull out and sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza.
10. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Until the edges are golden brown and crisp.

Coconut Curry Ice Cream

I adapted this recipe from here. It was good enough.

• 2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
• 4 cups coconut milk
• 3/4 cup unrefined cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, grated
• Pinch of salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine everything except egg yolks and vanilla in a medium saucepan and whisk until evenly combined. Place mixture over medium-high heat, whisking regularly, until it just boils and the sugar is dissolved.

Meanwhile, whisk the yolks in a medium bowl until they are smooth and evenly combined. When the coconut milk is ready, slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk mixture into the yolks until well combined. Add the yolk mixture to the pan, add in the coconut, and cook the custard over medium heat until it just coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute more.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour mixture into a medium glass or metal bowl. Cool in the fridge for several hours, then, process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer ice cream to a shallow 2-quart container (preferably glass or metal), cover, and freezer until thoroughly frozen, at least 2 hours.

 

Olive Oil Gelato

This basically tasted like vanilla. Except richer. (I got the recipe here.)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
Sea salt, for serving

Instructions

Using a hand mixer, beat sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add oil in a steady stream, and continue beating until smooth and airy, about 3 minutes. Add milk, cream, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve with a sprinkling of sea salt, if you like.

Thai Chicken Pizza

This was yummy. Here is where I got the recipe. And here is the recipe:

• Pizza dough
• 1/2 cup peanut sauce
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup red onion slices
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cup2 shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the pizza crust with the peanut sauce. Top with the chicken, red onion, carrots, green onion, and cheese.

Place the pizza on an oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the pizza is lightly browned. Top with cilantro, if desired.

What I've Done This Summer

So, this is what I have been doing on this summer:

1) Editing my documentary.

2) Watching the entire series of The Office with Vernon (we're on Season 6, episode 7... 99 episodes down, 92 to go). I think that everything one needs to know in life can be learned from watching The Office. (Remember in the series finale where Pam says, "There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?" Wasn't that amazingly poignant?!?!)

3)Working on my dives.

4) Playing poker. I think you can learn a lot about someone by the way they play poker. (It's more than a game, people. It's more than a game.)

5) Trying new flavors of ice cream and pizza.

Other than that, just trying to have a lot of unscheduled time for the kiddos.

This Documentary That I Made

So, I finally have a website up and running for that documentary that I've been working on for the past year. Please check it out:

http://www.midwifethedocumentary.com

And if you could like the facebook page, that would be great. I'm kind of nervous about not getting very many likes.

https://www.facebook.com/midwifethedocumentary

Thank you.

Blog Earnings

Remember that blog post, where I talked about using my blog earnings to buy something frivolous (in an effort to teach myself how to spend money more frivolously, remember that?)?

Well, I am only $2.14 short of the $100 mark, from whence I am able to cash in on the earnings. And I was thinking I would either spend the money on:

1) Bar Poker

or

2) Another Visit With a Psychic

Just Start Eating

So, I have been experiencing a little bit of what one would call "stress" lately.

• I have my documentary to market (I'm hosting a screening of it at a local theater here in the Twin Cities on September 24, getting ready to launch the website this week). 
• I learned that we have to move out the place we are currently living in (our landlord is ready to make it her office space; we knew this going in). 
• Vern and I were going to take a "just us" vacation over Labor Day, but we have no idea where we're going or what we want to do.

So, just a bunch of stuff to get done.

I was telling my problems to my therapist, who happens to be my friend's ten-year-old son (no joking, this kid is GOOD), and this is what he says to me:

"You just need to start eating."

And I'm, like, "What are you talking about?"

And he says, "Look... you've got a lot on your plate, right? So, you just need to take one thing at a time, pick it up off your plate, and start eating."

Smart kid.

This is much better than my idea of ignoring my plate until the food rots, or yelling at it and throwing it on the floor.

Jalapeno Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream

Finally, we stumbled upon another good ice cream flavor. This turned out really nice. You could taste the jalapeno, but it was very subtle. My kids liked it. (I got the recipe from here, which they adapted from here.)

For Candied Jalapeño

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 medium jalapeño seeded and sliced

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir. Once the sugar has dissolved, toss in the sliced jalapeño. Turn off heat once the contents are boiling. Let sit until room temperature. Set aside until needed.

For the Jalapeño Sugar

1 medium jalapeño seeded and chopped
5 slices candied jalapeño
1/8 cup sugar

In a mini food processor, combine the jalapeño, candied jalapeño and sugar. I added more than 5 slices to give the ice cream more kick. Pulse until finely chopped and mixed. Set aside.

For the Strawberry Purée

1 pint of strawberries (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/8-1/4 cup sugar, depending on your preferred sweetness

In a mini food processor (and I didn’t even clean it out after making the jalapeño sugar), combine the strawberries and sugar. Pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

For the Base:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
healthy pinch of cayenne (optional)
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cayenne until the sugar is dissolved.

Chill thoroughly at least 3 hours or overnight. Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Five minutes until the end of churning (or when it looks like it’s almost solid), mix in the jalapeño sugar. Then scoop into an empty container. After every scoop, swirl in the strawberry puree. Let freeze. Serve with the fresh chopped or sliced strawberries.

Peach Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza

This pizza was freaking spectacular. The whole family loved it. Very delectable combination of ingredients. (This is where I got the recipe.)

Pizza Dough
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup chicken, shredded
2 peaches, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place pizza crust on your pizza pan. Top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, chicken, Gorgonzola cheese, and peach slices. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 11 minutes.
3. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes). Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza. 

Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream

Don't make this. It was gross and nobody in my family could finish their serving. I'm only going to post it here for posterity's sake. (I found the recipe here, so blame them.)

1-1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese

Warm the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. While the milk is warming, grate the cheddar cheese into a medium bowl.

Whisk together the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium to low heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl. Add 3/4 of the grated cheese into the custard and stir until the cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Keep the remaining grated cheese cool in the refrigerator, too.

Once the mixture is chilled, fold the remaining grated cheese into the mixture then put in ice cream maker.

Shrimp with Bacon and Cheese Grits

It got this recipe from my lovely downstairs neighbor and landlord, who has good taste in all areas of life, including food. This meal is delightful, and delicious, and my whole family really loves it. (The picture I took does not do it justice.)

Here is the recipe (the original can be viewed here):

• 2 small leeks 
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 16 oz. turkey bacon
• 1 lb. shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a big pot, heat 2 Tbs. of butter or oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and 1/2 tsp. salt, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Whisk in the grits, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the broth has been absorbed and the grits are thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to melt. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm.

In a skillet, cook the bacon.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the cayenne and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and toss to combine.

Add the green pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Distribute the grits among 4 shallow bowls and serve the shrimp mixture over the grits.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

This pizza was really awesome.

Here is the recipe (adapted from here):

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Pizza dough
2 cups chunky-style salsa
2 cups (8 oz.) Mexican cheese
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp. sliced green onion or minced cilantro
Sour cream, optional

Directions:

Combine lime juice, oil, garlic and spices in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate 15 minutes, or up to one day, covered in the refrigerator.

Cook chicken in large preheated skillet over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink; drain if necessary.

Place crust on baking sheet or pizza pan. Spread salsa over crust; top with chicken, cheese, bell pepper, black beans and red onion. Bake in preheated 400°F oven 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with green onions or cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Enjoy!

Coconut Avocado Ice Cream

This was extremely awesome and super easy to make. The whole family loved it. Here is the recipe (adapted from this one).

• 2 avocados
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1 T lemon juice
• Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

1. Put avocados, coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, and lemon juice in the blender or food processor and blend for 2 minutes, until completely smooth.
2. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours until cold. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to directions, then freeze overnight.
3. Add toasted coconut flakes, for garnish (we forgot to toast ours).

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken, Red Onion and Smoked Bacon

This pizza was very freaking amazing. I highly recommend it. It's based on the recipe found here.

Everybody in my family loved it.

1/2 cup strawberry jam or preserves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Sauce
Pizza Dough (use whatever recipe you want)
1 or 2 cups diced chicken
1/2 cup bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked and drained
1/2 cup thin sliced red onion
2 cups cheese
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced small
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)

1. Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced to half of the original volume and mixture is thick and syrupy. Add strawberry preserves and Sriracha and mix well. Set aside to cool.

2. Make pizza dough and spread on a pizza pan (we use a cookie sheet)


3. Combine chicken with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic-strawberry mixture and mix to coat all chicken with sauce. Pour rest of sauce onto pizza dough and spread to cover. Scatter chicken evenly over the sauce.

4. Place about 3/4 of the cheese on top of dough and spread to cover sauce evenly. Scatter bacon and red onion over cheese to distribute evenly. Scatter remaining cheese over this layer.

5. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro (optional) and fresh diced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Tomato-Basil Ice Cream

The ice cream flavor this week was very.... interesting. The first taste is sharp and strong, and I wasn't really sure what to think of it. The more I ate, the less strong the flavor seemed. I wouldn't call it good, but it wasn't horrible either. It was based on the recipe found here (with slight alterations).

• 1 pint of cherry/grape tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 pinch of salt to sprinkle over tomatoes while roasting
• ½ cup basil leaves packed
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1-1/2 cups cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese – room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut cherry/grape tomatoes in half and toss them with balsamic vinegar. Arrange cut cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about 1/4 tsp) and roast for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely. While your tomatoes are roasting in oven, side by side you can prepare for the ice cream base.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup milk and keep it aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together remaining milk, cream, sugar, and salt. Add vanilla. Add basil leaves and bring it to boil over medium heat. Basil will add flavor and change a color only a bit.

When it comes to boil, cook it for 5 more minutes and then add cornstarch mixture while stirring continuously (Do not stop stirring, otherwise you will get cornstarch lumps)

Bring it to boil one more time and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add ¼ cup of ricotta cheese to the mixture and mix well. Remove from heat and let it cool down.

While it is cooling down, purée those roasted cherry tomatoes in your blender. When milk mixture is almost at room temperature, strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Use back of your spoon to extract all the juices before discarding basil n vanilla. Now it is time to sieve pureed tomatoes. Just leave out seeds and skin of tomatoes.  So strain it well. I like the texture of tomato skin and seeds in my ice cream so I added a Tbsp of it before discarding it. So it is completely optional, if you want it add it.

Cover with cling film directly on the surface of milk mixture and refrigerate at least 2 hours to chill. I did it over night.

Once it is chilled, transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to your manufacturer’s instructions.

When done, transfer ice cream to a freezer safe storage container and freeze until set.

Orzo Chicken Asiago

This recipe is amazing. My whole family loves it. So just make it. I don't need to say anymore. (It came from here.)

• 1 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1¼ cups orzo, uncooked
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
• Parsley

1. Place chicken broth and wine into a large pot. Bring to boil. Add the chicken pieces and orzo. Reduce the heat and simmer 12 minutes, or until orzo is cooked, stirring constantly. Add the salt and herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary) after the orzo has cooked for about 6 minutes. Just as the orzo is finishing, add the fresh tomatoes and green onions. Cook for 1 minute. Remove pasta mixture from heat. Add the peas. Stir in to help cool the mixture. Add the cheese and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Pictures on the Toilet

When I was going to the bathroom today, and I said to Vernon, "Take a picture of me while I'm on the toilet."

He looked at me like I was kind of crazy, so I said, "We hardly have any pictures of me on the toilet. How am I supposed to know what I look like?"

He didn't get the camera.

(Here is the last picture that was taken of me on the toilet. It was at least 6 years ago.)

(You all miss my updates, don't you?)

Tequila Lime Pizza

This pizza was pretty freaking amazing. Wow. Such unique flavor combinations that came together just perfectly. I highly recommend this pizza. All my kids love it as well. (Here is the original recipe.)

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow or white onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces silver tequila
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Salt and pepper 

 

• FOR THE PIZZA:
• Pizza Dough (use whatever you want, or use my recipe here)
• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/4 cup halved and quartered grape tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mango
• 1 lime, halved and sliced
• chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. To make the tequila-lime sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Add heavy cream and tequila and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until sauce thickens slightly and reduces, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F for a dark or nonstick pan (425 degrees F for all other pan types). Grease pan and roll out pizza dough to desired thickness. Prebake crust 8 minutes.
4. Remove pizza from oven and top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with tequila-lime sauce, then add another 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle on toppings -- shrimp, bacon, tomatoes, coconut flakes, mango and lime -- and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 6-10 minutes.
5. Remove pizza from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired, slice and serve.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

This was not good (original recipe here).

• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 9 large egg yolks

1. Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the corn cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break the cobs into thirds and add them to the pot along with the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, then turn off the heat. Using an immersion mixer or a blender, puree the corn kernels (not the cobs). Infuse for 1 hour. 

2. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Add a cup of the hot cream to the yolks, stirring constantly so they don't curdle. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes. 

3. Pass the custard through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the solids, discard solids. Let the custard cool, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche with Caramelized Onions

Made this for Father's Day today, and it was extraordinary. Got the recipe here, and made it pretty much exactly as it said, which I don't usually do (except, I used a pre-made crust, because I don't have a pie pan, so I needed something to put it in).

For the crust:

• 1 cup of white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp ice cold water

For the filling:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 cup asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups of spinach
• 1/2 cup brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• Goat cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Directions:

1. (For crust) Begin by combining the flour, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix the butter into the flour mixture until there are pea-sized (or smaller) pieces of butter. Gradually pour the water in, one tablespoon at a time while stirring the mixture. Grasp the dough (still in the bowl) and mix with your hands, gently. Place dough on heavily floured countertop, and flour your rolling pin. Roll it out gently until it's about 1/4 inch thick and large enough for you pie pan. I used a fluted dish and pressed the dough into the flutes. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up while it's cooking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and season with a pinch of pepper. Stir and spread out to cook until they start to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add the brussel sprouts, stir to combine and cook for about another 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and cook over medium heat until the asparagus is fork tender.
3. Whisk together egg, egg whites, milk, chives and nutmeg. Spread the vegetable mixture in the bottom of the prepared crust. Sprinkle goat cheese to taste. Pour egg mixture over top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let quiche rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to settle and serve.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon and Gorgonzola

Along with the uniquely flavored ice creams we've been making for Ice Cream Sundays, we're also going to start making some uniquely flavored pizzas. Here is our first. (It's based on this recipe, but I had to adjust to make more.)

Pizza Dough:
2-1/2 tsp dry yeast (buy this in bulk at the co-op and you will save a bunch)
1 T sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 T olive oil

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let sit for 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Spread it on a pizza pan (we use a cookie sheet).


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion
1 red onion
3 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
8 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch thick batons
18 dried mission figs, stems trimmed, cut into quarters or small pieces
8 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola



Directions

1. Preheat the oven 500 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until the onions have softened and turn a deep, golden brown, about 25 minutes.

3. Cut the bacon and cook it up.

4. Cover pizza dough with the toppings: the caramelized onions first, then the figs and bacon, and finally the Gorgonzola. Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Bake for 7 minutes.

Azuki Bean Ice Cream

Our latest for Ice Cream Sunday. (Based on this recipe.)

FOR THE AZUKI PASTE:
1/2 cup washed azuki beans
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt

FOR THE ICE CREAM:
2 fresh vanilla beans
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1-1⁄2 cups milk
1-1⁄2 cups heavy cream

1. For the azuki paste: Put beans in a saucepan full of water, bring to a boil, then drain in a colander. Return beans to pan, add 3–4 cups water, cover, and simmer until beans are very soft and have absorbed all the water, 30–40 minutes. (Azukis cook faster than many other varieties of bean.) Stir in sugar and cook over low heat until sugar has dissolved and beans form a soft, chunky paste. Add salt and allow paste to cool.

2. For the ice cream: Slice vanilla beans lengthwise down the center with a sharp paring knife. With your fingers, spread beans open, then scrape out and reserve black seeds, discarding pods. Put seeds in a small bowl, add 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and mix well.

2. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 3⁄4 cup sugar, vanilla–sugar combination, and egg yolks, and beat until mixture becomes creamy and turns a pale yellow. Add milk and cream and mix well into a custard-like consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use, preferably overnight.

3. Pour custard into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. About 10 minutes before ice cream is ready, feed the azuki paste into ice cream maker. Serve immediately or freeze in an airtight container to keep ice cream soft until ready to use.

Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream

This is my least favorite of our Ice Cream Sundays so far. It wasn't creamy enough and the flavor was too subtle.

Nevertheless, here is the recipe (adapted from here):

2-1/3 cups milk
2 T loose leaf green tea
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, more if desired
1/3 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
 
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, tea, grated ginger and 1/3 cup sugar.  Heat to just under boiling. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing on the solids to extract all the good flavors. Return the milk to the saucepan.

 

Heat the milk mixture gently until bubbles form around the edge.

 

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks on high speed of an electric mixer, adding the remaining sugar, until the yolks have thickened and become a pale yellow.

 

Whisk 1/4 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, blending thoroughly, then whisk the egg mixture back into the milk remaining in the saucepan.

 

Heat this mixture gently on low, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly, coats the back of the spoon, and leaves a track on the back of the spoon when you run your finger across.

 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

 

Pour into a glass container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Stir in the cold cream prior to processing in an ice cream maker.

Popcorn Salad

Remember when my kids made food videos? I didn't post this one, of Ocean making Popcorn Salad,

originally, but I want to have it on here now. For posterity's sake.

Here is the recipe. It sounds weird, but it is actually quite good.

Ingredients:

16 oz bacon, cooked and chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise (See recipe below)
1 cup celery, diced
1-1/4 cup cheese, shredded
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 T chives, minced
8 oz water chestnuts
12 cups popped popcorn

*Mayo Recipe: 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1-1/4 cup olive oil. SLOWLY whisk olive oil into the mixture.

Mix all the ingredients except for the popcorn (and save bacon and 1/4 cup cheese). Add popcorn and stir. Sprinkle bacon and the 1/4 cup cheese on top.

Basil Gelato

It's Ice Cream Sunday. Today, it was Basil Gelato. It was good and interesting. I got the recipe here.

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt
6 egg yolks

Instructions

Combine basil, milk, cream, sugar, zest, salt, and yolks in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a 2-qt. saucepan and heat gently until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer; chill in the refrigerator. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds

We are starting a summer tradition called Ice Cream Sunday, featuring unique (and hopefully delicious) ice cream flavors.

This is what we (and by "we", I mean Vernon) made today. It is based on this recipe. It was really yummy.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk

4 tsp. cornstarch

1-1/4 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Peel of 1 orange

3 tbsp. mascarpone cheese, softened

1/2 cup puréed roasted beets

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set aside. In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add orange peel. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in milk/cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

2. Place mascarpone cheese in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture; stir in beets. Pour mixture into a plastic bag; seal, and submerge in a bowl of ice water until chilled.

3. Remove orange peel. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions, adding poppy seeds during the last minute of churning. Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

Most Popular Things People Search for and Find My Blog

Here is a list of the most popular things people search for and find my blog:

1) Some form of the name Goofy Mama (goofymama, goofy mama blog, goofy mama blogspot)
2) Chris Gaines
3) Lotus Birth
4) Walking Wings
5) Katy Perry Movie
6) Bristol Stool Chart
7) How to Jack Off

(So, now I know what I need to write more about if I want to get people's attention.)

And these are my most popular blog posts of all-time (half of them are recipes that have appeared on Foodgawker.com):

1) Greek Pastitsio
2) Stuff My Husband Has Put Into My Vagina
3) Macaroni and Cheese Pizza
4) Seven Layer Tortilla Pie
5) Sail My Vessel
6) Strawberry Chicken Salad
7) Chicken Chow Mein
8) The Katy Perry Movie
9) My Before and After Pictures
10) Coconut Oil is the Best Natural Lubricant Ever!

		(An enormous number of people have searched and found #2 just this week. Why? I don't know. Okay. Yes, I do.)

Brownies

Yesterday, our downstairs neighbor boy came up and told us he had some brownies for us. (They oftentimes send up treats for us to eat.) So we were all excited to eat these brownies, and we uncovered the plate, and all that was on it was a bunch of brown colored letter 'E's.

So disappointing (yet so very, very clever).

Happy April Fool's Day to us.

What I Should Conquer Next

Vern said to me, "Do you know what you should try to conquer next?"

I said, "Poker?"

"No."

"Rock Climbing?"

"No."

"Bowling?"

(These were all things I was thinking of mastering.)

"No."

"What then?"

"You should work on not punching someone in the face when they tickle you."

(I don't actually punch people in the face, but I do kind of make the motion like I'm going to punch them in the face. It's, like, a knee-jerk reaction that I just can't help. Apparently, I need to conquer that.)

Walnut Cake with Mascarpone Cream

I made this for Easter, because I couldn't find all of the ingredients for tiramisu (where the heck does one find ladyfingers anyway???). The original recipe came from here. It's supposed to be a coffee cake, but I didn't have coffee, so I just made it without.

Also, it should be noted, as seen in the photo, that I should have let the cake cool completely before frosting it. There is supposed to be a middle layer of frosting, but it all got smooshed in and absorbed into the cake.

Cake

• 1 cup walnuts (about 4 ounces), toasted, chopped, divided
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Coffee-mascarpone cream

• 4 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese*
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) walnuts, toasted, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Vern's Blog Posts

From approximately 2005 through 2007, Vern had a blog on MySpace. I was reading through some of his entries, and I thought I would post some of the highlights here, on occasion (like, on the occasion when I can't think of anything else to write about). Enjoy.


This one is from January 21, 2007:

I (and by extension, the whole family) was listening to a cd today while making whole wheat pancakes when Allison asked who was singing the song that was playing. I told her that it was Jet.
To which she inquired, "From the 80's?"
To which I responded, "No, I believe that would be The Jets."
To which she said something about seeing them live when she was in Girl Scouts.
End Scene.


And this one from October 3, 2006:

And what's all the fuss about Grey's Anatomy? Allison flipped to it during Supernatural's commercial breaks last week. Is it supposed to be a comedy or a drama or what? I couldn't tell, and it didn't seem to do either one very well. All I can say is that it's no Scrubs.  

Ocean's 10th Birthday

My lovely daughter, Ocean, turned ten yesterday. Here is what we did:

Happy 36th Birthday (to me)

I have a secret to tell you: I always feel a little bit weird on my birthday. You all know how I really like to celebrate my birthday and everything, but part of me just wants to curl up inside myself and sit there for the day. I just get really reflective on my birthday (I mean, much more so than my usual level of reflectiveness). And I just feel... weird. I don't know how else to describe it. And I get that feeling every year.

I feel kind of quiet and within myself, like how I am when I'm in labor. Maybe I'm feeling like I'm getting ready to give birth to a new year for myself (if that makes any sense). I don't know.

I used to have problems with my birthday living up to my expectations. (You know, because I take my birthday so seriously and I love it so much that I just want everything to go so perfectly.) But, over the past several years, I've taken control of my birthday and I organize it so that it meets my expectations (and if it doesn't, then I am the only one to blame).

The formula looks basically like this:

1) Go out alone for a couple of hours and enjoy my free birthday drink from Caribou Coffee (a spicy hot chocolate).
2) Go rollerskating with my family.
3) Have Vernon make me a cake.

It's a winning formula and a wonderful tradition. (See here, here, and here.)

But I'm trying to let go of my expectations altogether. I'm working on it, anyway. Like, when I was opening presents today, Ezra wanted to hand out the presents as he chose, but Ocean wanted to save her present for one of the last ones, which made him upset so he went pouting off to his room. So, instead of getting upset and yelling, "Knock it off, Ezra. It's my birthday," I let go of expectations, and just thought that in my head. And eventually he came out of his room and stopped pouting, and all was well.

So, anyway, here is my birthday:

After a breakfast of blueberry walnut pancakes, my solo trip to Caribou, and then a family trip to church, I opened up my presents. I got this card from Ocean:

Then we ate my birthday cake for lunch:

It was an ice cream cake with brownie layers and a cream cheese frosting:

This is us on our way to the rollerskating rink:

And this is us at the rollerskating rink. I look like Slouchy McSloucherton here:

I had a Groupon and it included a free pizza from the rollerskating place (Cheap Skate in Coon Rapids, MN), so here Peace is eating the pizza:

And this is me and Vernon. He is making that face on purpose (don't ask me why):

And this is just an extraneous picture, featuring my bangs, because I know you are all interested in that:

So, yeah, I am kind of inside myself most of the day. But there are moments, like when I am rollerskating around the rink, holding Peace's hand, and Mumford and Sons "I Will Wait" is playing, and Ocean and Vern are practicing rollerskating backwards in the center of the rink, and Ezra is racing around on his rollerblades and has gotten quite good... there are moments like these when the world will stop and I'll notice it all and think about how amazingly awesome it is to be here, in my life.

It's a good place to be.