Junk Drawer

JJ Attack is trying to tell me something, "Hey, Mom, this drawer is awesome. It's full of all kinds of junk."

Sadly, that's not the junk drawer. That's the... um... birthday candle, foil, plastic fork, napkin, tea towel, etc. drawer.

Time to declutter. Time to build a pantry.

We have an empty space in our kitchen where an old chimney used to be that's crying out to the new pantry. The Hubs and I have discussed it, and he's on board. 

Anybody know how to build a panrty?  And by pantry, I mean shelves. Simple, exposed shelving. Personally, I think exposed shelves or cabinets in a kitchen looks very chic. And there's not a lot of chic going on in our kitchen.

We'll probably get 25-square-feet of shelf space, give or take, but that small amount of organizational freedom will heap decluttered return upon our cramped, tight kitchen.  

And, JJ Attack will have a whole new space to destroy.

Paradise!

The Skyline Loop Trail at Mount Rainier National Park.

Even amongst the crowds and tourists, visitors to Paradise feel as if they can be alone with Mount Rainier.

She's so close that you can reach out and touch her. The sun was shining so brightly you could see climbers on the glaciers above. And the wildflowers were in full bloom, which is nice to see late in the summer.

Our group of two moms and two backpacked babies wandered around the lower trails behind the visitors center. There are plenty of opportunities to hike up to the glaciers, alpine lakes and waterfalls. Just pick a direction and go for it. The trails themselves are hardly rough.. they are paved!

Cost to get into Mount Rainier National Park is $15, but if you keep your receipt you can get back into the park for two more weeks. The Jackson Visitor Center and the Paradise Inn both received multi-million dollar renovations and they are gorgeous! If you don't want to pack up your lunch, there are plenty of cafes for lunch and refreshments.

Pack everyone up and hit the mountain today. You won't be dissappointed!

Dog Park Days of Summer

Yesterday was a great day to be at the dog park. With blue skies and a slight breeze, Murray and Sydney had the run of the joint, and since we haven’t been there in a week there were many new adventures to be sniffed out (get it).

The running adventure. Never are the dogs happier then when off their leashes, unencumbered by my directional decision making and free to pee wherever and whenever.

The smelling game. Our dog park has so many visitors that even if we came ever day, they’d always have a new bouquet of stink to figure out.

The watering hole. Fort Steilacoom Dog Park does it right. Be wary of dog parks without water. It makes me nervous, especially in the summer, to not have a fresh water source for the “kids”. Our dogs have heavy coats and need to drink a lot to stay cool.

JJ Attack is a big fan of the park too. He’s figured out that his stroller has a sun roof, so he can keep an eye on Mom and Dad.

So what’s a dog park?

“Off-leash dog areas, or dog parks, provide a community setting in which people can gather and socialize and where they can observe the interaction of groups of dogs at play. Dog parks the world over allow owners and their dogs to spend time together while the dog satisfies its cravings for canine play and companionship,” says the all-knowing and powerful Wikipedia.

Socializing, very important with all dogs, is ingrained in the motive behind dog parks. Leashes can cause territorialism. Allowing dogs the opportunity to interact off-leash curbs aggressive behavior. You wouldn't hover over your human children all day, would you? Well, maybe you would. Like children, dogs need to learn boundaries and interrelate on their own.

My favorite part of that description is “satisfies is cravings for canine play.” Uh…butt smelling and peeing on everything. Got it. Shouldn’t we all have an area for that?

Most importantly dog parks are enclosed. Fences range from four to six feet in height and most parks have double gates, where you can safely remove leashes without concern of your dog running off, unless you want them to then you just look the other way and act oblivious. Be free!

Well, our dogs love the dog park and we 100-percent encourage their use. Personally, I recommend Fort Steilacoom and Marymoor dog parks. They are expansive and provide plenty of water. Fort Steilacoom is our home park and we’re very grateful to have it so close.

Let me introduce you to our kids.

He has four legs, I promise.

Murray, the three year old, is the lover. Weighing in at over 105 pounds, he’s a Bernese (no, it’s not Burmese) Mountain Dog which means he will always want to sit on your feet, always crawl through your legs for some booty scratching and always be a huge weenie. He’s petrified of the cat and the baby, a combined 35 pounds of fur pulling, talon flashing terror in his eyes. 

Bernese Mountain dogs, referred to as Berners, originated in Switzerland as a farm dog. Their temperament is calm and well behaved. Berners are gentle creatures, who you may see pulling carts full of children. They are strong and eager to please. Murray in particular, when not coerced by his sister, needs minimal supervision. Last time we went camping, he put himself to sleep next to our tent when it started to get dark. Often times we’ll hear him stomping up the stairs at home as if telling us, “I’m tired. Going to bed now. See you tomorrow.”

The big chicken’s partner in crime is Sydney, our princess. She turned nine last May and you can start to see her slowing down, which breaks my heart. That is, until she hits the trail. Sydney, an Alaskan Malamute, is a working dog through and through, although she only works on her terms and at her pace. On the trail she’s a speed demon, always 25 yards ahead at the front of our mismatched pack.

Alaskan Malamutes, commonly confused with Siberian Huskies, are one of the oldest, genetically distinct breeds of dog. During the Alaskan gold rush days, they were coveted sled dogs, “used for heavy freighting, pulling hundreds (maybe thousands) of pounds of supplies to villages and camps,” according to Wikipedia. Today they don’t do as much sled pulling as in years past, but still are viewed as the icon of the Iditarod, Alaska’s 1150 endurance race. The most distinctive characteristic of a Malamute may be its voice. Not a barker, a malamute will sing a song like a wolf’s howl. Sydney, in particular, does an excellent Chubaka impression and has learned that singing into drive-thru windows generally produces a treat. Once, at a Taco Time, she got a box of free mexi-tots. Man, I love her.

Back to the parks, a dog park is an ideal illustration of how dogs should live - carefree, safe, active. Dog parks do not allow aggressive animals, and I can attest that if a dog owner does bring in a misbehaving dog they are quickly denounced and sent packing. Good dog owners do not tolerate bad dog owners, and most of us will agree that a dog takes on the characteristics of its owner. If your dog is “bad” it’s probably your fault.

And that is the end of today's public service announcement. We're off to the park.

Visit Dog Park USA for a dog park near you.

Thinking Ahead by Looking Back

In an effort not to spend much money for Christmas a few years back, I put together a family cookbook. My aunts and great aunt, grandma, mom, cousins all sent in their favorite or most requested recipes, while I dug through the depths of Grandma’s infamous picture drawer for eating-related photos to scan in. The intent was to cover everyone and to save the recipes we all loved so much. Little did I know how important this would be.

Our cookbook was designed in Adobe InDesign, but any pagination program will work, even the dreaded Word. Send out an email and make phone calls announcing your intentions to put together a family cookbook. You’ll be surprised how excited people get to participate. With your older family members, offer to come over and sift through the recipes with them and help them pick out and write them. Many recipes are probably kept in their heads, dash-of-this and pinch-of-that type meals. Let them take their time and explain the nuances of each dish. Be an investigative reporter and write the recipe from your interview.

My copy is a little worn.

Choose pictures that tell a story. The kids with olives on their fingers. The clang of New Years’ martini glasses. The matriarchs and their simmering pots and pans. If you don’t have a scanner, FedEx Office (formerly Kinkos) does. They can also help you print and produce the books. I used a simple black wire bind and covers that were printed on heavier stock to hold up longer. You may want to laminate the covers. Online book sites, like Shutterfly and MyPublisher, make it easy to upload your images and deliver high quality hardcover books.

My recommendation to you is to save and publish your family’s recipes. Start now. Don’t wait. I was surprised how many of my grandma’s recipes came from other people, from her mother and grandmother. Some of those recipes are nearly 100 years old. Handed down through the generations and there’s no reason why our quick paced age bracket should stop that. In fact, as we return to whole foods and slowed down cooking those historical recipes reemerge as jewels that will set your cooking apart. Even the recipes that seem so simple most likely have a secret spice or technique that will change the outcome if not included.

Sadly, this past winter we lost my Auntie Arl. My grandmother’s only sister, Arlene was an angel among mortals. She was gentle and calm (compared to the fiasco that is our family), and always left you with big kiss marks on your cheek. I miss those kisses a lot. And from the kitchen, I miss her pies and lemons bars. Oh, her lemon bars were addicting! The recipe is in the book, but I’ve noticed when anyone else makes them they just aren’t the same. So what was her secret? That we may never know, but luckily we can try to figure it out.

And because I love you, here's the famous lemon bar recipe!

Photo courtesy of abcnews.com.

Auntie Arl's Lemon Bars

Ingredients

2 c flour

1 c butter

1/2 c powdered sugar

6 eggs

3 c sugar

9 Tbsp lemon juice

Dash of salt

6 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 baking powder

Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat the over to 350-degrees. Blend together first three ingredients. Press evenly into a jelly roll pan or high sided cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Beat together eggs, sugar,lemon juice and salt. Fold in flour and baking powder. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes. After completely cooled, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

This is the tricky part. I think most people don't let the bars cool enough and the powdered sugar dissolves. These bars, if made the proper Auntie Arl way, should have a snow field on top. Lots of powdered sugar over very cool cake. In fact, you may want to cool the bars in the fridge. Hmmm...that might be it. Give it a try and let me know.

Puddle Jumpin'

An August weekend surrounded by damp, soggy conditions means one thing…go outside!

No rain! No gain!

Right? No? Come on. Hiking, walking and running in the Western Washington rain is refreshing. [Side note: Cycling might be cool too, but as many of you know bikes and I have a mutual disdain for one another.]

When was the last time you purposefully splashed feet first, kindergarten style through a full-size, muddy puddle? It’s completely liberating.

Here’s how you do it… Find the biggest puddle you can. Take ten steps back. Do not inform your husband of your intentions. Run at full speed, then leap up high and SPLASH! Your feet will be wet, yes, however laughing until your abdomen cramps with pumping fists of triumph is worth moist Tevas.

With no intentions of letting the weather confine us in the house on the weekend, The Hubs and I found a suburban path in Silverdale yesterday. What’s a suburban path you ask? Well, it’s in Silverdale, so I don’t want to describe it as “urban.” And it’s in Silverdale, so I can’t say it’s a “trail.”

The Clear Creek Trail (path) runs from the edge of Dyes Inlet at Old Town Silverdale six miles up a simple creek bed, over a plank boardwalk covered wetland and into valley farms. As far as suburban paths go, this one was perfect. Long, clean, seemingly safe, the trail is in incredible shape even in the rain. Its stroller and toddler friendly, however we carried JJ Attack on our backs, so neither of us had to have both dogs at the same time and, of course, we look rugged… on the suburban path. Ok, no laughing.

Our picnic of stinky cheeses, sesame crackers, ripe plums, smoked salmon and a ‘07 Cab donated to the cause by our friend Sarah was put on hold until we got home, because the benches and picnic tables were just too wet for comfort. But, as if it was meant to be, JJ Attack feel asleep in the car and stayed asleep for two more hours, so we although our picnic indoors it was still romantic. A perfectly ending to an otherwise cold day.