Check Out These Tomatoes!

I recently embarked on my own little road to rediscovery. Yes, I returned to Michigan for my ?? Year high school reunion. I can't even say how many years, it's that bad. I was convinced to attend by the sister of an old friend I happened to meet this summer. So, I packed my bags...unpacked and repacked, you know how reunions are, and took to the skies. My dear friend of 45 years, Ned, picked me up at the Kalamazoo Airport. Ok, I have to say it, it's required...wait for it.... There really is a Kalamazoo! 

  After visits with family friends, moms, brothers and a sister, we gathered a small group of our classmates together at the Old Dog Tavern. What fun we all had reconnecting and laughing over shared memories. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to spend time with those from our youth. 

   On Saturday our dear friend, Clarene, invited us to join her husband, Gene, and her father for a delightful lunch at her home. I hesitate to even call it lunch. It was really a simple, elegant, array of thoughtfully prepared food. What struck me most was the effort she made to serve us things that were a reflection of love. Food in our household has always been an expression of love. Love for my kids, my husband, and my friends. At many of the kitchen tables I have sat food is just a fuel. Something that has been thrown together because, well, there needs to be food. But, I can tell a table that is spread with love when I see it and Clarene and her husband did axactly that. 

Here is Gene with his heirloom tomatoe.

Clarene's simple chicken salad.

 Mouth watering desserts. I know you wish you were there! 

Here are our dear friends, who have been married for decades, Clarene and Gene. A real love match.

... and what about those tomatoes I promised?!

Let's not forget trouble makers from way back, Ned and I.

Here's the real treat, recipes! 

Chicken Salad

(Clarene says this is a recipe you have to "feel" your way through)

* fresh chicken breasts, cooked and skinned (pouched , grilled, or baked), cooled and chopped

* celery and onions chopped

* green grapes, halved

* Miracle Whip, enough to "bind" but not to drown the ingredients

* sugar, just a bit

* salt and pepper to taste

* fresh lemon juice, just a bit

Mix and serve. Delicious!

Crack Chocolate Cupcakes

You simply cannot have just one of these and if you eat too many your teeth may even fall out. So, you are warned!!!

* 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened

* 1 egg

* 1/3 cup white sugar

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

* 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

* 1 cup white sugar

* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt 

* 1 cup water

* 1/3 cup vegetable oil

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a "well" in the center and add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with the batter and top with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Keep reading the blog. Next stop is the Amalfi Coast! 4 more days!!!

And That's a Wrap!

We completed our travel in Vancouver, British Columbia where we were joined by our dear son, David, and his beautiful wife, Li Jie. We found it to be much like Seattle, only bigger. It had a bit of a European feel to it but in a rustic way. We explored China town which was a bit faded but it is undergoing a slow renewal. We saw the Canadian's night of a firework competition between Canada, Taiwan, and Ireland. Amazing! We walked miles and miles and ate our fill of what Vancouver had to offer. A wonderful visit.

An adventure of a life time in one of North America's final frontiers; Alaska. A place where you find a smorgasbord of wildlife coexisting, or at least living on the borders, of human presence. We found bears at our lodge, eagles floating by our ship on ice "growlers", or mini icebergs, moose at the edges of mountain rivers, salmon literally fighting their way up streams to spawn, sled dogs, and caribou prancing down gravel roads. The freshest seafood, meat, and colossal vegetables are at markets and served up at every restaurant. It appears the twenty hour dog days of the Alaskan summer make for veggies worthy of the prehistoric woolly mammoth.
We were impressed with the amount of beautiful art work that was in every shop and gallery. We found ulus which are styled after ulus of old. They are a curved bladed knife used in food preparation with the better ones having handles made from sun bleached moose and caribou antlers. Gorgeous jewelry made from Alaska's state stone of jade is everywhere. Hand dyed scarves and yarn, hand woven wraps and linens, and baskets made by artisans abound.
We experienced sunny warm weather and even a few snow flakes. We saw mountains, valleys, plains, pickled forests, mudflats, an ocean, rivers and streams. It was a visual feast at every turn. We road in taxis, buses, trains, helicopters, float planes, and a ship.
So that's a wrap for this adventure; Alaska, 2013. Ciao babies!

Crabby Hot Loggers

A busy day in Ketchikan, Alaska. We started our day at the Loggers show that at first glance we thought may be a bit tacky but proved to be so fun.

These guys are so athletic and yes hot!
Next we checked out Ketchikan which is the salmon capital of Alaska. The salmon are all running right now, returning to where they originated to spawn and then die. The five types of salmon are chum, sockeye, king, silver, and pink, with sockeye the most coveted.
For the afternoon we flew in a float plane to a lodge for an all you could eat crab. An amazing meal. No dinner tonight that's for sure. The flight was a wonderful experience.

On our way. Tomorrow is at sea with next stop, Vancouver. We can't wait to see David and Li. Mwah!
Ciao babies.

Whirlygigs

Up early, safety class, helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier. Ok, enough written. Lets look at pictures!

Peace LiLi!

Happy birthday Marisa!

Ciao babies!