Marshmallows and Smores and Grandbabies Galore!

Well, this is the week the grandbabies came to visit Grama Max and Grampa Don in our San Francisco apartment. We're adjusting nicely thank you kindly! But of course you're going to get lots and lots about this visit- nothing livelier than a 2 year old to add a bit of pizazz- and certainly our 2 year old is lively.
But first- OUR COOKING ADVENTURE. This month's Bon Appetit just happened to have this fantastic columnist- Molly Wizenberg- "Cooking Life". Her piece this month was "Fluff Piece". A "how to" on homemade marshmallows. How timely! And right before the Grandbaby. Molly writes a blog- "Orangette"- and so if you read a person's blog- very regularly I might add -you rather think of her as a friend- someone you know- not just an anonymous writer of a column in a food magazine- in a magazine I often never even notice the name of the author- but blog's are personal- and I know Molly- and it was rather like a new friend said- "Hah- have you thought about marshmallows?"

So "we" (note that the plural form of the pronoun is being used, but I don't remember reading Molly's blog or having any say what so ever about making marshmallows) decided to make marshmallows- with Reeder- in San Fran- in the apartment kitchen. But first we had to get in a "G,Gs" (Reeder talk of pajamas, PJs). We even rather matched!

You start with 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of your heavy duty countertop mixer
I will add here that if you do not own a countertop mixer then you better just skip the details of the recipe- this is one recipe that can't be done with a hand mixer- I promise you- it just won't work.

So in the bowl of the mixer you put three packages (1/4 oz packages) of gelatin and the 1/2 cup of water and it just sits- all the water will be absorbed by the gelatin. It takes 15 minutes for this to happen- but trust me- you have plenty of time.

Combine 2 cups of sugar, 2/3 cup of corn syrup, 1/4 tsp of salt. I forgot the salt and everything tastes fine- so don't think it's that critical if you happen to forget- we had lots of help- so it isn't too difficulty to see how we might have forgotten. Just imagine how much effect 1/4 tsp of salt is going to have in 2 and 2/3 cups of sugar. I'm not sure why they even put it in the recipe.

The reason there is plenty of time for the gelatin to absorb the water is that you have to heat the sugar slowly up to 240 degrees while stirring.

And we start to stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir and stir...
Reeder finally grew weary of the work and left to watch "Micky" on TV- but I continued to stir and stir and stir and stir...

Waiting for the temp to get to 240 degree. Molly says this takes about 8 minutes- but I was afraid of burning the mixture and it took me about 20 minutes- to stir and stir and stir...

Now the fun begins. And Reeder was back. You turn the mixer (with the whisk attachment) on at low speed and pour the hot sugar (Grampa Don is in charge of pouring) into the gelatin mixture.

And you gradually increase the mixer speed until it is on high (it is very, very noisy at this point so Don closed the windows because he was afraid the the neighbors would get annoyed and call the police)- so you mix for 15 minutes- And the miracle happens- it turns into marshmallow cream right in front of your very eyes- from clear sugar syrup- to white, marshmallow fluff. Amazing!

You pause the mixer and add 2 tsp of vanilla extract and then mix again for 30 seconds- and then the work begins. This glob of sticky thick sugar has to be transferred from the mixing bowl into a cake pan so that it can be spread out flat and allowed to cool.

And Reeder is helping????
And then it just sits- in a 13x9x2 metal baking pan that has been lined with foil and then coated lightly with nonstick spray.

And it just sits for 4 hours at room temperature- while it gets hard. And then you turn onto a flat surface larger than 13x9 that is covered with a mixture of potato starch (1/2 cup) and powdered sugar (1/2 cup). and coating a knife coated with nonstick spray (Don used a large chopping knife- while I was napping) you cut into squares.

You might note that there is no "we" included in this note about cleaning up this mess. That's because cleaning is not a "we" function. It's strickly a "Don" function.

And then you toss in in more starch/sugar mixture.

Ahhhhhhh, now time for the real test- how do these marshmallows do with indoor smores-

We used a graham cracker- and a tiny bar of Ghiradelli Chocolate- and topped with a homemade marshmallow- into the microwave for 12 seconds (watching this is a real treat)- And- DRUMROLL PLEASE- you have a SMORE!



Need I say more!

Max's Summer Parmesan Chicken

Summer time is the time for cooking with fresh produce. Also, in the summer you can buy a tomato that really tastes like a tomato. So tonight was the time to use some simple, readily available summer "stuff".
Now I'm really pretty proud of this dinner- it is an original- now it's not like I wasn't heavily influenced by my incredibly large library of recipes (how about that "google it"). But I was in the kitchen while Don was trying to fix my printer to get a recipe- and I just cooked. So here it is.

Of course there is prep- and this time I did my own- Don was working on my computer.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees!

1 pint of cherry tomatoes- halved
1/2 cup of kalamata olives- pitted and halved
2-6 cloves of garlic depending on taste (we tend to go for the more)- crushed
1 cup of chopped basil
1/4 cup of chopped oregano leaves
(By the way- look at all the kitchen "tools" I was able to use in the "prep".)

I really couldn't believe this oregano- like little flowers.

1/4 cup of olive oil- mix with oregano and half of the garlic in a bowl. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Chicken breast-1-2 (2-4 pieces)- pounded to about 1/4 inch thick (I loved this part- talk about a de-stressor- you just pound and pound and pound)
Dip the chicken in the olive oil/oregano/garlic mixture. Then dip in grated Parmesan cheese (the cheese didn't stick well so I dropped enough to cover after I put them on the cookie sheet)

Mix the tomatoes, olives, 1/4 cup of the basil. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Spread the tomato mixture on the other half of the cookie sheet.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 10 minutes.

Slice the mozzarella cheese.


I boil the water for the pasta at this point- I can always turn it off- and it will be hot to start.

At 10 minutes top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta. I always add olive oil and a bit of salt to the water.


Drain the pasta and mix in the remaining olive oil/oregano/garlic mixture. Salt and Pepper to personal taste.

And then it's done!

And here are the pictures of the final project- dinner.



But of course it was a little bit late- just a little bit!?!

Summer in the City - A perfect day in July

It's July in San Francisco. Most of you in the rest of the world know what it means to experience July. July happens to prepare us for August, the month that in Cincinnati we just stay in doors to escape the heat, the humidity, and the mosquitoes. July is supposed to be hot, a time to enjoy summer at the pool, watch the gardens grow and enjoy the sweet corn and tomatoes that ripen this time of year. A song by the Lovin Spoonfuls that Max quotes below(are we showing our age?) says it pretty well.
"Hot town, summer in the city; Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty" Well maybe not exactly what we are experiencing here. I think a better quote is attributed to Mark Twain- "The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco." We're back to appropriately seasonable San Francisco summer- foggy, damp, and cold enough for a jacket and scarf on most evenings!

But Mark Twain also spent some time in Cincinnati and his comments about that city were not so much about the weather, but rather about when things happen in Cincinnati as Max describes.

Consequently I hope to to return to Cincinnati before the end of the world at least by a day or so -for about Cincinnati Mark Twain says-""When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times."

But it is summer in San Francisco and out in the central valley where they grow all of those fruits and vegetables it really is July with temperatures up in the 90's. And that's weather for growing those tomatoes that are wonderful- they actually taste like tomatoes!

So we started this wonderful summer day that we both had off from work with breakfast at home! And tomatoes! And bacon! And fried eggs!

And the most wonderful biscuits in the world- I finally have the recipe right for my version of angel biscuits- I'm going to test a couple of more times- and then you'll get the perfected version on this very blog! Ever since we have been here, Max has been trying to make biscuits that matched the ones we often have at Cathy & T.H. Milby's house in Norman. When we visit they always made these delicious biscuits and Max asked for the recipe. But getting the recipe is one thing, making the same biscuits is something different. As in lots of recipes, there is the formula and then their is the art of doing it. You can't write down the art, it has to be developed by trial and error. Max's biscuits are really wonderful, so I'm not so sure what else she needs to do to improve them.

And then broiled peaches! Not just broiled, but broiled with honey on them.

The absolute best breakfast ever!

And then off for an afternoon walk! You might have noted a time aberration here. How does an afternoon walk follow breakfast? Well, it does if you don't actually get to breakfast until around 11:00, but that's all part of the "perfect summer day".

But we had errands to do as well as just pleasure in our walk. We are in the prep stage for the BIG VISIT! The grandbabies arrive soon- to this not quite 2 bedroom apartment- on the top of a hill- that seems not at all the haven for children (we hardly ever see children here- I think they live somewhere else- not sure where- just not here)- so we are getting ready- trying to at least.

But there are no Targets or Walmarts or ToysRUs etc here, at least not close to us. There are just hardware stores- Mom and Pop hardware stores- so we set out.

Most of you out there are too young to remember the 5 and 10- not me- I remember- when a nickle would actually buy you something- But even though this particular 5 and 10 costs a bit more it does capture the spirit. Actually this is a 5 and 10. For in San Francisco its not 5 and 10 cents, but rather 5 and 10 dollars. And it really is a "hardware" store, but I suppose that could include puzzles, books, markers, and stickers.

There is one aisle of "kids" stuff- we shopped!


Don's going back for "stuff"- coloring books, markers, books, stickers..... I did go back and get them and they were priced at 5 and 10 dollars.

And of course there was an aisle just made for Don- "guy stuff"! But this was not a guy stuff day. We had just started our walk and had only gone about a mile. We still had 4 more miles to go and a cliff to climb. You don't carry guy stuff on a walk.

And then it was a walk through the Presidio...


And I always feel close to my dear friend, Linda LaCharity, from Cincinnati who lived here on the Presidio when she was in the Army (a colonel I think?!).

And then down to the Marina to watch the wind surfers and the kite surfers and the boats! To put the following pictures into perspective, the temperature was really pretty warm this specific afternoon (note the fog has burnt off). It was approaching 70 degrees, but the water in the bay stays somewhere in the high 40's to low 50's. These folks are all wearing serious wet suits. All of those kites over the water are attached to people who are riding "surf" boards (actually they are more like giant snow boards made out of very light weight but strong materials.

Below are wind surfers, not to be confused with kite surfers.

I never realized how much I would love the Bay- it's not like there isn't something exciting about the crashing of the waves of an ocean- or the quiet laps of the edge of a lake- or the babbling of a brook- But I love this Bay- it takes my breath away- to watch the ships- the waves- the sailboats- the fog- the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance- the wind surfers- the kite surfers- I just didn't know how magical watching the Bay would be. And I will miss it forever! We did bring our binoculars so we could get a good view of the activity in the bay. I think I was watching a fishing boat drift by. The sea bass are active right now in the bay and charters tend to drift with the wind down the coast of the bay.

But by now I was feeling hungry so we found a Jamba Juice- and Peach of course is my choice! Not sure I ever saw a Jamba Juice anywhere but California. It's part of the "natural, organic, healthy" fast snack out here. It will probably make it to Cincinnati in about 20 years.

And now to the next local Mom and Pop- hardware store- actually my favorite- because this one has kitchen "stuff"!


And this one has a bench- and dog for Don! The bench was standard issue, but the dog was made of plaster. But given my choices, it was the best dog around. In fact it was the kind of dog my Mom might have actually put up with - no barking, no licking, no getting on furniture, no feeding.


And the "kitchen aisle" for me...

It was here that I bought the candy thermometer to make homemade marshmallows with Reeder! I have a feeling that might be a blog all by itself.

And now to home- and dinner! A summer dinner! And maybe Barbecue! But then we don't have a backyard. Or a grill. But that didn't stop us (Don always goes along so it is an us- a we).

So we did SUMMER!

Corn on the Cob! Peaches! Tomatoes!

And Baby Back RIBS!


We did a spice rub- and then used the oven- to mimic the backyard- and- drum roll please....

Looks like summer to me! Now I'm still working on the ribs- have a couple of ideas- and will practice again when Clint (with Marianne, Reeder, Hayes) are here- so if it works I'll give the details for the blog. I'm going to try to turn up the heat- was a bit too mild for the barbecue- so wait for the final verdict- But I'm working on barbecue ribs!



And how do you finish celebrating a summer day- well with a ballgame- of course!


So we finished this perfect summer day- with a great game by the Cincinnati Reds! This game thanks to MLB Extra Innings so we can actually watch Red's games, and the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) so we can record these games instead of watching them when they are actually played in the early afternoon out here on the left coast. This game was one that they actually won.

Seafood Chowder at Home

Well, cooking for Michael is a bit of a challenge. He doesn't like HEAT- any HEAT- and this to a cook who cooks for a man who believes the only choice is between jalapenos with the seeds versus jalapenos without the seeds- not leaving the jalapenos out entirely! But Michael does like seafood- and a lot of it- even likes sushi, which is not a universal taste- at least not in our family. But with the order- NO HEAT- and YES SEAFOOD. So a chowder seemed just the thing. I actually did this chowder for Don and me over Christmas.
So I opened the cookbook, How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. Mr. Bittman does a great column every Wednesday in the NYTimes- worth taking the whole paper for a week just for the column. Here is my take....

You start with 4 slices of bacon cut into small pieces...


(Amber and other vegetarians- skip this part), And then remove the bacon and set aside for use later.

I should have started by listing the "prep" work for your live in "prep" chef (that's me for those of you who might be wondering)- cut 1onion into small pieces (1 cup), 2-3 white, thin skin potatoes (2 or so cups- more or less to personal preference- we used less), 1-2 tsp of fresh thyme (I used 2- can use dried if that's all you have- and it is a bit better), 2-4 cloves of garlic (or more- also depends on exactly how much you like garlic- or how much you think it will in fact improve your health), 2 ears of corn- cut off the cob (can use frozen if not making in the middle of this most gorgeous of seasons- absolutely fantastic corn on the cob- at Christmas I used frozen), 2-3 carrots (also dependent on personal taste), red or yellow pepper (now exactly how much do you like color- I can get a bit crazy about here- though Don does try to rein me in).

Add the onions to the hot grease (bacon that is- but if you're vegetarian start with 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil), and cook until the colors glisten.
Then add the garlic, potatoes and carrots and peppers... for about 15 minutes- until soft. You can salt/pepper as you go along- can't say exactly how much total- we are now "grinding" everything- so doesn't lend itself to measurement- more just a taste thing. With us it is light on the salt and heavy on the pepper.

Well, about here you stir- occasionally which gives you some breathing space so...


"I always cook with wine- sometimes I even put it in the food."

Now I must digress- I decided that we (that means I decided and Don gets to help) would do homemade seafood/vegetable broth- so I bought shrimp with the shells intact and removed the shells to use in making the broth- and with the shells I added water (4 cups) and all the wilted vegetables in our frig- carrots, onion, garlic, parsley, celery, salt/pepper and probably more- whatever- and let it simmer for a couple of hours- I used half (2 cups) in this chowder- and froze the other 2 cups in the freezer for future use. But you can just use chicken or vegetable broth if you're so inclined.
Strain the broth...

And discard the vegetables and shells etc. And save.

If you like thick chowder (I don't so I skipped this step), add 2 tablespoons of flour to the vegetables- do this before you add any liquid- or you'll get major lumps (since I was the queen of lumpy gravy I did learn to cheat- you can blenderize your flour with the liquid and then add together and the lumps won't develop).

Now you add the broth to the chowder pot. Simmer the pot for 10-15 minutes.


Oops! I forgot the thyme. Well, if I just added it to the pot with the liquid it would be stiff- so we fixed that by softening in a tablespoon of butter... (my mistake but Don gets to help clean up my mess)-

And then added the thyme and butter to the pot. I just love recipes that are so forgiving my oversights.
Mark Bittman helpfully tells us that we can stop at this point and store for 2 days if you have a time crutch the day you plan to serve.

Add 2 cups of 1/2 and 1/2 (can use more cream- or use milk instead- but since I always have 1/2 and 1/2 on hand I just always use what I have- and what I can use the next morning in my coffee if I have some left over)...


Now the final preparation begins. (Amber and other vegitarians can skip the rest of this too including the part at the end where you eat it) Cut the fish- I used cod- but you can use any white fish that is sturdy (not tilapia- it will melt into nothing but tiny flakes in the pot)...

And now we add the corn- and the seafood...and the bacon...

Don with his "bleeding heart liberal bent" gives voice to the poor muscles and clams dying in this cauldron. Actually, I have always claimed that putting these living muscles and clams into boiling water is kind of like the cannibals boiling the missionaries. I know that they must be screaming in pain and so Max "forced" me to scream for them. Consequently, the picture.

And then it just all simmers...


While we rest. And have yet another glass of wine. And Michael and Liz wait patiently for dinner. Napping. Reading.

And then it is time for dinner...

Until time for the clean up!

Max never seems to mention that in addition to the chopping specialist, I also seem to be the clean up specialist. If Max were left to her cooking in isolation, the kitchen would soon be piled high with dirty bowls, dishes, knives, pots and pans. I take no credit for the creation, only for keeping the kitchen in some sort of order so the creation can take place.

Michael and Liz Come to Visit

When Max and I packed up and moved to San Francisco, we put our house in the care of Amber who lived there from last October until April. In April, Amber cut the final cord and set off to Chicago to start a new life, a new program of graduate study, some new jobs, and a new blog: http://amberinthewindycity.blogspot.com/. Replacing her in the homestead were Michael and Liz who moved in as Amber was moving out, and who are taking care of the house until we return sometime in the Spring of 2009.

But Michael and Liz spent last week here in San Francisco, and we spent the week trying to cover their list of sights to see. We actually did a pretty good job of it experiencing a few things that weren't on their list. It's always so much fun to show "our" city off to our friends and family. Taking Michael and Liz about had the added attraction of seeing through the eyes of someone who had never been here before.

They arrived on Friday, so we just spent the afternoon driving around the city so they could get some perspective of how the city is organized. But one of the things on Michael's list was to eat sea food. I was surprised when we heard that Michael likes sushi- so we were determined to make sure he got sushi here in San Fran- and as you might suspect- it is not hard to find sushi in San Fran- much more common than say McDonald's- or Wendy's- or Taco Bell. So we started with our local Japanese restaurant and got Michael the first of his sea food meals, Sushi for dinner.

Then on Saturday we started the tour in earnest. Now that specific Saturday happened to be July 5, something that I hadn't taken into consideration given that it was a holiday weekend in the middle of tourist season. Our plan was to take the bus to Farmer's Market at the Ferry Terminal and then take the trolley to Pier 39 for a late lunch. The Farmer's Market was bustling. We didn't buy anything but did get some pictures from the area. I love the Farmer's Market here- so bustling with energy- And of course every kind of food imaginable- to eat on the spot- or to shop for home. But- you can't shop much if this is the first stop on a full day. So I showed restraint- and bought only one small can of jalapeno peppers with adobe sauce. This before we found out that Michael loves sushi- he does not love Mexican- especially spicy Mexican- and I'm not sure there is any Mexican that is not spicy!

We weren't able to get on a trolley since they were all packed with people by the time they got to our stop, so we took a cab instead. Pier 39 was the sight for most of the July 4 weekend festivities and it was packed with people. We did get a table for lunch and provided Michael with one of his many sea food meals.

When we did finally get back to our neighborhood, Michael and Liz a little flavor of walking the hills in San Francisco. We try to warn people before they get here- bring the walking shoes- there are lots of hills, no parking, and even the buses require a hike.

I must admit that when Max and I first got here and saw those hills, we didn't even consider walking up them, so we knew how they felt as they climbed this cliff back up to our street.

Sunday's plan was to go to Sonoma and see the wine country. We took them to the Benzinger Winery: http://www.benziger.com/ which has a great tour of the vineyards, the crushing & fermenting facility, the storage cave and of course, the tasting room. Benzinger is a biodynamic vineyard which means that they use no pesticides on their vines, they plant gardens of plants within the vineyard that attract "friendly and helpful insects", and they recycle all of their waste into compost which they reapply to the fields.

The vines were full of clusters of grapes waiting to ripen in the California sun. And the samples in the tasting room were enjoyed by all of those who weren't doing the driving.

We finished the day at Horizon's our favorite place to eat in Sausalito where Micheal got more sea food.

Of course no trip to San Francisco is complete without experiencing the Golden Gate Bridge. When we crossed it on the way to Sonoma, it was so foggy, the we couldn't see the towers. On the trip home we drove up to the Headlands overlook which is on a hill above the bridge. You might note that these two are holding onto each other pretty tightly. This display of affection also had the effect of keeping them warm and steady as the wind was blowing around 40-50 mph at this particulary moment. I actually sat in the car during this little excursion- didn't want to blow off into the bay! It was really, really, windy!

On Monday the weather was supposed to be clear and warm (warm for San Francisco) and so we had plans to go to Alcatraz. Once again we took the bus down to the Ferry building and then the trolley to the dock to catch the boat to Alcatraz. I didn't make this trip- I was working.

This time we actually were able to ride the trolley since the holiday crowds had dissipated. The weather was nice and as opposed to when Amber went to Alcatraz on a foggy day, we could actually see the city

The Alcatraz tour was quite impressive. It was surprising that Alcatraz Island was only used as a federal prison for 29 years which closed in 1963. The rest of the time it was used for military purposes and now obviously as a tourist trap. At least we were allowed to leave when we wanted to.

Tuesday was scheduled for Muir Woods, my favorite place here in the Bay Area. We got there early and had a great walk through these giants before the daily crowd swelled. I love walking among these trees when it's quiet. Did I mention I was working again.

Following Muir Woods, I always go to up to the coastal view of the Pacific at the Muir Woods Beach overlook. It's perched on a cliff several hundred feet over the Pacific and provides a great view of the coast.

On Wednesday, I got part of the day off as tour guide because I had some P&G work to get done, and let Michael and Liz explore China Town on their own. But first I took them down on the bus to Union Square, and we walked down to the Powell Street Cable Car turn around to take a traditional ride on the San Francisco Cable Cars. I was working- or have I mentioned that yet.

That evening we went down to Max and my favorite sea food restaurant, Pacific Catch. Though I did not miss a meal. More sea food for Michael, this time an eel rice bowl.

On Thursday the schedule included the Exploratorium. Have I mentioned yet that I was working? The Exploratorium is kind of a Children's Museum, but is really oriented for any age. The museum is set up with hundreds of hands on exhibits, each of which demonstrates some facet of science. There were exhibits in all areas of physics, exhibits that demonstrated how our senses work, exhibits to demonstrate the processes of biology and exhibits that demonstrate mechanical properties. All of the exhibits are simple enough that young children can run up to one and do something like spin a wheel or blow a bubble, but they also have text that describes the science behind the property on display. It's really a fascinating place for all ages.

After the Exploratorium, we went to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. It is a beautiful garden and provides tea in a small tea house.

On Thursday night we gave Michael another sea food meal, this time prepared by Max. She made her sea food chowder which I won't discuss further here since she has a following blog all about it's preparation.

On Friday we focused on Asian Culture. Need I mention I was working? We went to the Asian Art Museum. We had been told that it is an excellent museum and it certainly covers years of Asian Art. There was a special exhibit of art from the Ming Dynasty on the first floor, and then two more floors of art from all of Asian. The work was mostly in statuary, pottery, and carving in jade and ivory, but it was impressive.

After the Museum, we did more sight seeing by going up Telegraph Hill and to the top of Coit Tower for a 360 degree view of the city.

Our final experience was dinner at the Cliff House. You might be surprised to know that they specialize in sea food and a view of the Pacific as it crashes into the rocks on the beach below. It was a great way to finish up. Michael got his sea food and they both got to see a lot of this city.

A Friend Comes to Visit!

Sharon Parker and I have been friends for almost 31 years! I met her when I was 7 months pregnant with Clint- and started to work 3-11 in the CCU at Norman Regional Hospital and she was the 3-11 Nursing Supervisor. Now Sharon is a lawyer as well- so is RN/JD- and is in charge of Risk Management, Security, etc. etc. etc.- I lost count- at Norman. And they sent her here for a conference which was a real treat for us! .
We hadn't seen Sharon for 2 years- the wedding year- since she and Bruce, her husband, came to Cincinnati for Brandy and Will's wedding, and then we went to St. Louis for their son Josh's wedding. We had thought for a bit that Bruce might be here as well but the schedule didn't quite work out. Bruce is now retired so it's a bit harder to schedule events around his new full schedule of RETIREMENT!. But while we were touring San Fran, Bruce successfully road his motorcycle from Oklahoma to Montana to become a BUN BURNER- 15oo miles in under 24 hours. To learn more about the BUN BURNER award you might just "google it". Now it probably goes as an understatement to say that Bruce loves his motorcycle. But Bruce is the Parker family "Uncle Sam" - that by the way will only make sense to the Kappel/Lucas group. But back to the point of this blog - it was a real treat to be able to spend some time with Sharon before her conference started.

And of course if you're with Sharon- a visit for chocolate is always in order.

And there was some entertainment on the wharf- but then there is often some sort of entertainment here in San Fran. Quite often the entertainment here is what locals consider to be perfectively normal, but those of us who might be from somewhere other than the Left Coast might consider to be somewhat "different". Who knows what prompted the "conga line" that came out of a restaurant in front of us, or why this young lady in a gold "dress" and fishnet stockings was leading it, but in San Francisco - Why not?

But Sharon really impressed us- She had a total hip replacement just a couple of months ago- but not that we could tell- we did walk a bit- and we had to keep up with her!

And then we finished the day at the Cliff House for dinner.

Unexpectedly Sharon also had a bit of time late Tuesday afternoon- so she and Don went to the Japanese Tea Garden while I finished up work- and then the three of us when down to the Marina for dinner at the Pacific Catch.


What a wonderful visit! Nothing can beat old friends from home come to visit!

The Family Album

HAYES BAPTISM!

Now this is suppose to be all about Hayes- well as a matter of fact this first part is all about Hayes- Hayes' Baptism. But Big Sis Reeder upstaged the little man even at his moment on stage.
Since I had a camera at the baptism, I sort of got the job of digitally recording this blessed event. But baptisms do take a little time and since Clint and Marianne were pretty busy with Hayes, Reeder noted that she was somewhat free to explore this building. And so she explored, Hayes was baptised, and I just took pictures.

Hayes was appropriately baptised while Mom & Dad assisted. But Reeder did do a little exploring.

It is very, very exciting to sit in the chair of the PRIEST during your little brother's Baptism.

Or maybe just loiter by the piano....

But playing in the Baptism Font was the most exciting!

And in fact was so exciting that cousin Eden decided to join the fun! And why not, after all her Mom & Dad were the God Parents and certainly had obligations to participate. And since cousin Reeder was free to explore, why not her??

And those candles all flickering were awfully tempting.

And Look- The Baptismal Candle- Now that is exciting!

As for Hayes- well he was charming- smiling- interested-

and I might add very well behaved. Think he thought the whole thing was just the way to spend a Sunday afternoon being surrounded by more people who want to hold him- and Hayes is most comfortable in the arms of one or another! And God Parents Uncle Steven and Aunt Elizabeth, and Mom and Dad were appropriately behaved as well!

Daddy Clint and Hayes!

And Grama Max makes three!

But this whole weekend was a weekend about family, and we certainly did get a good dose of family. There is nothing like a wedding or a new baby or a baptism to bring a family together. The rest of this blog is mostly a pictorial overview of the weekend of family. Hope you enjoy it.

Lucas and The Captain both showed up, although we expected neither, and Great was in heaven seeing these two grandchildren who are among her favorites (not that Great would ever admit to having favorites).

Cousins that almost never see each other got time to talk and laugh and get better acquainted.

And second cousins got together to play and giggle (What are they doing in the street??)

And Grama Max got to see her new granddaughter Samantha and play with Taylor.

And more cousins and 2nd cousins

And the niece that shares my passion for photography and introduced me to blogs...

Mother and Son!

Mother and Son!

And who would have thought that tubs of melting ice could be so much fun with a just a few big spoons. I do believe all the 2 years olds (and there were 4 at this particular party) chased more than a couple of ice cubes.

Grama Gay got introduced to Sharon and they hit it off great, or maybe it was just that the sangria was really good.

Anthony does love his daddy. When Sarah was in town the whole week before the party, she would talk to Shawn on the phone and then let Anthony listen to the phone. Anthony sure knows his daddy's voice.

Great got to hold her newest great granddaughter.

And the youngest and oldest hands of our family!

Matthew shows off his skills with babies. At least this one wasn't one of his sick patients.

Uncle Fouad and Aunt Mary are always part of our family.


Holding babies is always a favorite pass time for this Grama.

and for Aunt Boo.



And the uncles.

The sisters even had a great time even without the sangria.



Of course the dogs are part of the family. Too bad we didn't get any good pictures of Semper. The old guy is hanging in there.

Even Uncle Michael got into the baby holding game.







Feeding the fish with Grandpa Don! Always a highlight of any day!


Petting the Lampe's rabbit!

And of course we went to the park!



Father and Son!

Aunt Boo is still holding her new nephew Hayes!

Still a loving couple after all these years!

A Mother's undivided attention???


Loving siblings!

THE THINKER!

Grama Gay always has a magic touch with the babies!



Do you think our little mischievous Reeder notices the babies are crying? (I vote yes!)


I think she is going to follow in the footsteps of her Grama Max!


Cookies with sprinkles leave a memory in ones mouth!

I do believe that Eden likes to visit the bakery with her Grama Max! And Grama Max can't wait to take Eden and all of her grandbabies to the bakery! In fact there is nothing in this world that warms the heart so much as family coming home. So until next time just remember I am loving you- and remembering our special time together.

Trip to....The Cincinnati Zoo

Well it was HOT, REAL HOT. And HUMID, REAL HUMID. And of course it took three cars to hold all the babies (the days when all you needed were spaces for the behinds of the adults- and then you tucked the kiddos in the corners- on laps, on the floor. Just about anywhere. Those days seem almost like admitting to some deep dark secret sin. No car seats, no seat belts. But those days are history- and it was three cars of us to the zoo. On the day did I mention was HOT and HUMID. But we got there. And I guess the second thing that ought to be mentioned is that we had only had one map- and that was controlled by our Marine Captain. I do feel safe- he successfully evaded the enemy (those pesky animals- go figure) so I do believe I saw less wild life than at home with the chipmunks, squirrels and birds- now there is wild life. And I was carrying the baby- Baby Hayes- so I didn't often have the opportunity to take pictures- so I have the most pitiful pictures- which of course I feel obliged to share.

So this picture proves that we did see at least one animal- not over the top on the wild side- but an animal. And Sarah is smiling- look carefully- don't see much of that in the pics to come.

Anthony was all dressed in his Reds outfit- and was a good sport the entire morning.

No exactly the time of his life....

But it got a bit better, Maybe?

And we did see some animals- can tell by the forward stares...


And we did stop to eat...


And there was a Merry-Go-Round....

With Deseree, Clint and Reeder...
Now I know what you're thinking- wonder why she picked these pictures- well these were the best- of not many- the happiest- Oh Well....

Did I mention that Don was working?

Trip to.....Chicago

Amber moved to Chicago just a few weeks ago. She will begin graduate study at Loyola in pubic history this fall. But why Chicago you ask? Well- Amber fell in love with Chicago (much like my relationship with San Fran) when she visited it the first time for an 8th grade school trip. She is off to a great start.
A trip to see Amber was just too tempting to pass up- So I drove over from Cincinnati (need I mention that Don was working) to pick her up and bring her back to Cincinnati for the BIG PARTY!
And first on the agenda was a trip to IKEA and TARGET- to finish out the necessities for Amber's first apartment.

As you can see we were very successful!
Amber lives in a great neighborhood- and on our drive to her apartment we passed the ballpark during a game.
Amber lives just a short walk from Wrigley Field- how about that for all of you baseball lovers!

After the shopping- highly successful shopping I might add again- we were off to dinner. We went to a vegetarian restaurant- the first all vegetarian restaurant I've ever visited.

Imagine my surprise when I read in one of my food magazines (I must admit I can't keep track of which one)- that this Veggie Diner in Chicago is one of the best- and one of the best in the country.

And of course we were celebrating the beginning of this new chapter in Amber's life!

For breakfast we were off to a restaurant called Ann Sather- AMAZING!

I do now know that they do have the BEST CINNAMON ROLLS!
And from here we took a walk through her neighborhood- shops, restaurants, coffee shops. Rather like San Fran- just not as many yoga studios!
And then to the lake!

Amber lives just a very short walk to the lake- so after breakfast we took our walk to the water. What a wonderful place to spend a morning!
Finally returning to Amber's apartment to leave for the trip to Cinti.

Did I mention that Don was working?

Trip to.....The Bakery

One of my very favorite things to do with grandchildren is take the walk from our home to the Wyoming Pastry Shop (the very same bakery that made the glorious chocolate on chocolate wedding cake for Sharon and Matthew's Party). So when you come to visit Grama Max you can expect a walk and a cookie!

And as you can see- we had quite a group for this bakery trip. Sarah, Deseree and Anthony were spending the week and then there was Marianne, Reeder and Hayes and also Elizabeth and her daughter Eden (Elizabeth is Marianne's sister- Eden- and Elizabeth and Eden call me Grama Max as well- and I get a warm feeling in my very core when I hear them call me by my most favorite name).
And we took over the place- with a crowd as large as ours there just isn't much room for anyone else!
And then there is the clean up- before the return walk home- Reeder is helping Eden- it's quite amazing how messy cookies can be!

By the way-do I need to mention that Don was working?!