Gourmet Dinner

Happy Oscar Sunday everyone!

My good friend Vicky just turned 40. I threw her a party last week and prior to that, Vicky had invited Scott and I to join her and her husband and another couple to a gourmet dinner. She won it at a silent auction knowing she wanted it for her birthday celebration. When she forwarded me the menu I was giddy!!

The menu:
Appetizer:  Tomato-Cheese Torte and Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
Soup:  Roasted Garlic and Basil Tomato Soup
Salad:  Caprese
Intermezzo:  Cabernet Ice with mint
Pasta:  Sausage & Clam Puttanesca with Linguine
Entree:  Beef Tenderloin on Balsamic glazed Arugula
Dessert:  Tiramisu

We began with the appetizers around the fireplace. I'll be honest, that could have been it for me. The basil... the garlic... the sun dried tomatoes. My kind of heaven. Let me interject something. I have learned my birth father is Italian. How much? Not sure. I'm going with full so I can legitimately blame my love of Italian flavor and my spirited personality on that. So, I'm half Italian and happy to claim it. Now, back to the food.

We ate our soup and then the salad, a twist on a caprese with grape tomatoes, basil and petite mozzarella balls on small skewers. After all of this garlicky flavor we had our pallete cleanser, the intermezzo as she called it. It felt like dessert and I could have stopped there (again). But my favorite course was the sausage and clam puttanesca with linguine, amazing!

Here comes the funny part. When Laurie, our hostess, sent her husband John back with my knife and then didn't take Scott's he says, "You need this for your steak." Scott leans over and says, "Did he really say steak?" Honestly I thought he said snake, which was more frightful than the idea that was true, which was we had more to eat. In all of my maturity I said, "No way, I'm gonna barf." Seriously, this is way more food than humanly possible to eat... but I did it. Scott got more food from me on the tenderloin course, I was literally at my limit.

This brings me to dessert, the item on the menu that got me the most giddy. Tiramisu. Want to know a secret? I saw her Pioneer Woman cookbook, mentioned I love it. I told Laurie that making  Tiramisu intimidates me and she said, "I got this from the Pioneer Woman." Really? I must give it a shot then.

We all went home fat and happy, literally. Sometimes nights like this are just so worth the weight... I mean wait.

I better run to put my final touches on event number three of this crazy busy weekend! And the Oscar goes to...

A Boy and His Dog

There is just something about a dog. I know, I know. The last time I mentioned Moka she was our Shameful Bag of Bones. But beyond that, the naughty side, the dogs of the world keep us happy and sane. They are so unconditional in their love... that is my favorite part.

Here is Tennison's day with Moka after school yesterday.

Tennison started to tell us a story about his day and Moka sat up to listen!

"See, I'm not a shameful bag of bones."

Tennison started to read "my first non-fiction book" about snakes.

His attempt to sound like a rattler.

Maybe this will help.

He then proceeded to get on the floor to slither like one and instantly hit his chin on the hardwood. WHO got up to check on him? Yep, the one with the unconditional love.

Thanks Mokie.

Oh look, you have eye boogers, let me help you.

We decided to take Moka with us to get Whitney from drama club.

Yep, that would driving and photographing...

Oh the joy! This was a first since we usually have the van

and it doesn't work as well.

For the record, it was a warm day here in Colorado.

Quick Mokes lets hide from Whitney!!

Seriously Moka, she'll see you, get down!

Here I'll hide you!

"No way!!" See, I can be cool... I can bring the dog in the car when I said I wouldn't/shouldn't.

Now we just need to see what today holds!! Will that space with the tooth hanging out be a true empty space after school?

It might be a night for the Tooth Fairy!!

I LOVE THAT DOG!! AND I LOVE THAT BOY!!

Snowshoeing at Bear Lake

It was a beautiful drive to Estes Park today! We saw tons of fishermen on the icy river, so cool. The scenery was awesome. Once we got into town we rented our gear and went on to Rocky Mountain National Park. Now that Mr. Titanium is good to go we plan to visit more this summer, so we bought a season pass. We made our way to Bear Lake and then circled the parking lot forever looking for a parking place. It sure was the place to be today since it was so nice out... 53 degrees up there. We strapped on our snowshoes and off we went. How cool was it for all of us to walk across Bear Lake. It was so beautiful.

Our 3 Ducks in a Row... they kept us laughing for sure.

We had to turn around and take Nana & GP Skip's car... don't ask.

The descent into Estes Park! WOW!

My 2 guys getting fitted for their snowshoes.

Praise God that they fit a size 15 guy with no problems.

Nice big snow mound in the parking lot.

The trek begins!!

On Bear Lake... so wild!

Across the lake, this was the big attraction! It was so neat up close.

This was just to the side of all that ice.

It was no small feat getting all 3 up that slippery hill.

One more thing Mr. Titanium has conquered!

We're all so excited for Scott.

Team Kissel!

To think it started 17 years ago with just the two of us...

and probably the old Levi's I'm wearing.

I think we'll be buying some snowshoes sooner than later. It was so fun, so easy and such a blast. We hiked up into the woods and couldn't have done it without the snowshoes. It was a great new memory for us! We could have stayed all day.

SNOW much fun!!!

Our Shameful Bag of Bones

We brought this adorable dog home to our family in October. We named her Moka Flo Kazoo and have all fallen in love with her...

We have taken her to the vet to make sure she is healthy, put her on meds for worms (disgusting) and even had her spayed. We feed her, give her water, brush her, have had her groomed, and walk her. And what does this dog do in return?

Eats entire pens & leaves the remains on the carpet...

She is so lucky that ink didn't explode.

And her new fave thing is getting the t.p. from the downstairs bathroom.

Shameful Bag of Bones

What?

OK, I'm sorry!

These items were in her crate just last night.

He's covered in t.p. Maybe it is like Ranch for Moka, a little

t.p. makes everything taste better?!



We often call her The Chizzler! One of our family's favorite movies is Cheaper by the Dozen 2. When the Baker family gets to the cabin at lake Winetka they see the same pack rat from years ago, The Chizzler. He's still up to his same antics stealing their keys, shoes, toys... and then runs into a hole in the wall with his goods. Later the wall gets destroyed and there is a lifetime of memories inside.

It is like that with Moka. She does this hop skip and a jump type of run and you know she has something. Almost every night Scott, all 6' 7" of him, gets down on his knees and looks through her crate in a sing-song voice saying, "What's in there?" Once I found my Starbucks gift card tucked under the blanket... what was she planning on doing with that?

Her other quirky thing? When it is dark out and she sees her reflection she goes crazy. She thinks it is another dog!! What a nut!

Its OK Moka... she won't get you!

Until she grows up she will always be our favorite Shameful Bag of Bones. This is a term of endearment I learned growing up - each of our dogs was called it at one time or another!

My First Love and My True Love

I'm not sure where this all started, but I fell in love with Albert Einstein when I was in Junior High. I think I was taken with his crazy hair and quirky looks. I love his quote "Imagination is more important than knowledge", because I firmly believe this myself... but don't tell my kids. Coming from Mr. E=MC2, I took that as a sign that he was my kind of guy... smart and creative. I had posters of him on my walls in college, I still own a table top book of him & photos and look, a mug!!

Even Al loves coffee, his mug says so!

"Coffee makes me smart". If that isn't the truth!!

I came to my senses when I met Scott as a freshman in college. Unfortunately he didn't have the crazy hair and didn't have smarty-pants quotes like Al, but he was athletic, loved Jesus and he liked me just the way I was. So I fell hard for him, my true love.

Scott went on a trip to Washington, DC a couple years ago with a few pastors from church. When he sent me this picture I knew 2 things: 1. My two true loves were too cute together. 2. Scott knows me so well! He knew that a picture of him and Al would make my day.

So there you have it. My first love and my true love, together at last.

They almost have the same size feet!!

Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.
~ Albert Einstein ~

Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't

On March 22, 2010 Whitney got braces on her top 4 teeth, not so horrible. Although 4 brackets still equalled a lot of visits to the dentist... as well as poking wires, wax and pain from adjustments. 11 months later the big day finally came!! Whitney and I went to celebrate over a bagel breakfast and then got them off!

Now you see 'em....

With Moka in a Christmas ribbon!

At the beach on Balboa Island.

Whitney Hope in downtown LA.

Playing volleyball... never got hit in the mouth!

With her sister at Halloween... a fellow brace face.

With a future brace face I'm sure... he was thanking her for finding

his lost tooth in his cereal bowl.

On the morning they were taken off!

Now you don't...

That slick feeling of being braces-free!!

Until round 2... some time from now!

Great Job Whitney! You look beautiful as always!