Most Recent Read: The Life of Glass

I enjoyed reading The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor. It was predictable but, I still liked it. According to the book, glass takes a million years to deteriorate, but it can shatter easily, like the dual nature of humanity. On one hand we are tough and resilient, but also fragile.

One of my favorite songs is "Ali in the Jungle". The song is about overcoming seemingly insurmountable problems, like Muhammad Ali in the "Rumble in the Jungle" and Mandela Nelson in jail. It is incredible what individuals are capable of, such as Joe Simpson, Helen Keller, and Ludwig Van Beethoven.

People can accomplish incredible things, but they are still very breakable. Illness caused by microscopic organisms can eventually become fatal. It only takes pounds of pressure to break a bone or pull a muscle. I found some rather interesting, but disturbing facts, "It takes approximately 8lbs of force to snap the collarbone. Breaking the elbow joint takes between 5-8lbs of force. Putting direct force against the joint in the knee can be devastating, Breaking this joint takes approximately 15lbs of pressure" (http://socyberty.com/military/how-much-force-does-it-take-to-break/).

Most Recent Reject: The Subtle Knife

I went to the library and checked out The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I had read the book The Golden Compass and then saw the movie. I thought it was a pretty good book. A little weird, but interesting.

I started reading The Subtle Knife and after about a chapter and a half I stopped reading. I had heard that the series was about killing God and overthrowing heaven, but that concept wasn't really in the first book and I wondered if people were just reading too far into it. They weren't.

Wow, Pullman is anti-Christian, well anti-God for that matter. I'm so glad I didn't waste my time actually reading them.

I'm so glad I have the gospel. It would be so sad to live in a world where I didn't believe in the salvation of Christ, or the infinite mercy of our Father in Heaven. It's ironic that in the books Pullman suggests that because of God we are not free, when in fact it is God who respects our free agency and has given us the opportunity to repent when we do make mistakes. We are liberated because of Christ.

My advice, don't read them. People like Pullman can write what they want and even get published, but that doesn't mean it isn't puerile drivel. The Narnia books are infinitely better. I would go as far to say the Twilight series is better, which is saying something.

Recipe of the Week: Pam's Caramel Syrup

This syrup goes really well on waffles, pancakes, and french toast. Although, if you want to smother ice cream in it, I'm not going to stop you. I've been considering making homemade peanut-butter cups but with carmel instead of peanut-butter and a Toffee and Almond Symphony bar instead of just regular chocolate. That's for later though, here is the carmel recipe:

Butter 1 Lb (4 Squares) May use margarine

Lt Karo (Corn) Syrup 1/2 Cup

Buttermilk 2 Cups

Sugar 4 Cups

Bring all the ingredients to a boil and then continue to boil for three minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and then add 4 tsps of baking soda and 6 Tbls vanilla. Stir down and skim off foam. It is helpful to save empty maple syrup bottles to put the carmel syrup in after you are done making it.

Most Recent Read: The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan was incredible. It was best book he has written, which is saying something because his other books are amazing. Furthermore, (dare I say) I think Riordan's books are better than the Harry Potters.

Most Recent Read: 3 Willows

I just finished the book 3 Willows by Ann Brashares. The story is written after the Sisters of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants have gone to college. It is about three girls, Polly, Jo and Ama, who live in the same neighborhood. I enjoyed reading it because it made me think about when I was in Elementary and Junior High. I love the dynamic characters and metaphors she uses. Also, Ama's story made me want to go repelling, like my husband Matt, off of a 350 foot cliff. It sounds exciting. And scary.

The story is written in third person with first person letters spattered throughout, which follow the three girls on their respective summer vacations. One of my favorite parts is when Jo, who has been at a beach house with her mom, runs home to her dad. Jo hasn't talked to him in weeks, mainly because he and her mom are separated. Ever since her brother Finn died her parents have been drifting farther and farther apart.

When Jo gets fired while her mom is out of town, she decides visit her dad. Jo expects him to be working, because he is a top surgeon and he seems to always be working. Not only is he home, but he is excited to see her. She realizes that her home seems warmer now that her mom is living at the beach house, with her dad's uncoastered mugs, newspapers and medical journals in random piles and places. Her dad, who has been learning how to cook,makes her tacos, which actually taste good. At the end of the summer she decides to stay with her dad instead of going back to the beach. It helps by that point she has realized her beach friends and beach boyfriend are actually losers.

Leap into the Wild

09:53 Lately I have considering releasing Winston into the wild. I really didn't want to walk into the room and see him floating in the tank, dead. I know he is just a fish, but I rescued him from the Bio 420 lab. I really like that fish, he was my fish-friend when Matt was on his internship.

Then I did research, and Matt was right, Winston wouldn't make it in our arid to semiarid climate. With winters. But then I found out Zach's Girlfriend, Maria wanted a fish. So Matt and I decided to give her Winston. Everything was going well, we dropped of the bowl, green plant, greek ruin and year supply of food. But then I found out later Winston jumped out of his bowl and Maria found him on the kitchen counter! She was quick and put him back in the water and gave him Fish CPR by spinning the bowl around. Luckily, he was still alive.

Maria said she would try to get him into therapy so that he did not try to commit suicide again. Ogden thinks Winston missed me and was pulling a Nemo. Hopefully Winston won't try it again, but I'm glad I gave him to someone who can do Fish CPR.

19:04 Winston died today. Maria came home from school and he was dead. Matt and I picked him up and took him up the canyon. I let him go in the river. It was pretty dark, freezing cold and everything was covered in snow, but it was peaceful. Matt held onto my hand so that I could get closer to the water without slipping on the snow. I dipped him into the water and watched him drift away.

Tree of Books

I found this picture and thought it was awesome.

Thoughts From a Wandering Doe

http://www.bluemousemonkey.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/doe.jpg

My Brother and I were driving back from Salt Lake, and I told him my latest update was Thoughts From a Wandering Doe. Even though I was totally joking, for a second he thought I was serious. It is still totally a joke, but now I am wondering what advice would a wandering doe give?

First let's ask Bambi's mother. I remember being so sad Bambi's mom actually died, and I'm surprised Disney put that in one of their films. They usually just have the character be motherless from the beginning I.E. Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella's Prince, Pocohontas, Aladdin, Jasmine, Pinocchio and Mulan. Almost all the Disney princesses.

According to the ridiculously long synopsis from IMDB, "Bambi paused to sniff curiously along the way, then scampered after his mother again. "Meadow? What's the meadow?" he asked. "It's a very wonderful place," his mother told him..."Hush, now. We're almost there." And she lead him up over a little hill."

In retrospect, Bambi's mother would have never taken him near the meadow. She would probably advise to stay as far away from the meadow/danger as possible. Futhermore, she would say if you don't listen, your ominous father ("A huge, dark shape loomed above him...He was staring down at the little fawn, his face hidden in shadow.") who is literally twice as old as me ("For of all the deer in the forest, not one has lived half so long...") will try to raise you in the brief time between two scenes. This poor doe didn't really have a chance.

And I'm adding, don't name your son Bambi, it's a girl's name.

I'm pretty sure there are some deer in Snow White, but they just dust and eat pie, not much to learn from that...

Fawns start walking in the first five minutes after being born. I find that incredible. It takes us months before we start walking. And in the winter, they eat bark, even though they like grass. Also, according to infoplease.com, a White-tailed Deer can run 30 miles per hour. That's pretty fast.

I'm not sure there are anymore exceptionally interesting facts about deer. But if there are, I'll let you know.

Dad's Birthday/ New Year's Eve

Dad, Lauren and Mom

Matt and Me (Everyone took a turn wearing the New Year headband)

Dad, Kate and Mom

Dad, the Birthday Boy

Pictures From Christmas Eve

Allyson, Lauren (My Sister) and Ashley

Zachary Playing the Piano, Upside Down

Rapunzel? No, My Sister Breanna

Father and Mother

Grandma and Matt My Husband

This is Zachary's Paparazzi Shot

Darling Katie-Did

Most Recent Read: Percy Jackson Series

Matt got me the entire Percy Jackson series for Christmas. I enjoyed reading them, especially because of the humor. I love how seamlessly Riordan mixes our day and age with stories from Greek Mythology. I also like how he uses obscure characters from Greek Mythology, like the gods Hestia, Nemesis and Janus. One of the quotes I like the most is by Poseidon, in my favorite book of the series, The Battle of the Labyrinth: "Percy, lesser beings do many horrible things in the name of the gods. That does not mean we gods approve. The way our sons and daughters act in our names...well, it usually says more about them than it does about us." This quote makes me think about the various names we take on. Our father's surname, our husband's surname, and according to our religion, we represent the Deity we worship.

Recipe of the Week: Elizabeth's Chicken Chili

Everything I've learned about cooking, I learned from my Mom. My Mother is an incredible cook, and this is one of her recipes. It is the best Chicken Chili Matt and I have ever tasted.

3 15oz Cans Great Northern White Beans

(or 2 Cans White beans and 1 Can Black Beans)

1 Small Onion

2 Cups Chicken broth or bouillon

1/2 tsp Chopped garlic minced

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Cup Sour cream

2 Cups Cooked chicken

1 Can Diced green chilies

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Oregano

3/4 tsp Salt

Pinch of black pepper

Dash of Cayenne Red pepper

In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, saute onions and garlic in 2 Tbsp butter, then add all the ingredients except the sour cream. Simmer on just above medium heat for 10 minutes. Then add the sour cream and serve.

Christmas

Christmas this year was exceptionally fun (It is every year). We started on Christmas Eve going to my Grandparent's house in Ogden. We sang, talked and ate for hours. My Mom's side of the family is quite numerous. My Grandpa and Grandma had twelve children, and nine of them were at the party, with most of their children. I took a ton of pictures.

Later we went to my parent's home and watched Christmas movies and then fell asleep. But not before we had a Christmas devotional, we had one on Christmas Morning as well. On Christmas morning, we woke up to my Mom's amazing cinnamon rolls. Then we opened all our presents and stockings. It was so much fun giving everyone their gifts and seeing how excited they all were. And I'm just going to say it, it was fun getting presents. Before we left Mom sent us off with some Christmas ham because we wouldn't be there for dinner.

Matt and I then drove to Matt's family's house for Dinner. First we played Glee Karaoke. Hayley and Whitney were doing awesome. Matt did really well with his rendition of Kanye West's "Golddigger." I was proud. After Matt sang "Golddigger" almost everyone else wanted to try. Even Matt's Dad. He did a good job, but it was really funny seeing an accounting professor rapping, especially that song. Then we ate dinner. It was delicious, as always. At the end we ate "La galette des Rois" or The King's Cake, symbolizing when the wise men visited the baby Jesus. I found the Baby Jesus in my piece of cake so I got to wear a crown. Then we had a miniature Hanukkah celebration. Matt's Mom converted to the LDS Church when she was sixteen, but before that, she and her mom practiced Judaism. It was fun, we lit a Menorah and we got gifts that were tastefully Jewish. Whitney gave us our gifts from Austria, I got a Mozart music box. I love it. Then Matt and I went to our little home and exchanged our gifts to each other. After, Matt and Zach set up our Wii's so they could play Mario Kart together. Then Matt and I just played games, drank sparking cider, and relaxed.

Whoa

Just watched Inception for the first time. May be the best movie ever. Wow.

The Wonder of Christmas

"...They said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." Luke 24:5-6

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Matthew 14: 26-27

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

"There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ." President Thomas S. Monson

RRRRGGGG!

http://www.spiralpocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pirate-books.jpg

It was a time when gentlemen were gentlemen and the gentlemen who weren't gentlemen, were pirates.

A Night Out With Friends

From Left to Right, Shannon, Billy, Ashley, Bryan, Jason, Rachel, Megan, Cooper, Matt, and Jessica

Winter Wonderland

It's still snowing. I love it. Hopefully it will stay for Christmas!

Recipe of the Week: Annette's Orange Brownies

http://ntvare.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle-citrus-peel-title-main_full.jpg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

4 eggs

2 tsp pure orange extract

1 tsp grated orange zest

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tbs orange juice (you can just squeeze it out of the orange you use for the zest)

1 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350° F

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 30 mins, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares. (It should make 24 squares).

Star Bits and Wikis

I have been craving gushers now for weeks thanks to their similarity to Star Bits on Super Mario Galaxy. I also recently found out there is a Super Mario Wiki. Apparently there is a Wiki for everything. There is a Wookieepedia, Camp Half-Blood Wiki, and a Wiki Wiki Web. Furthermore, you can find a list of Wikis on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Fun Christmas Stuff

The first picture is our first Christmas Tree. I added the star, lights, red berries and bow. The next picture is a gingerbread house I made years ago out of graham crackers, neccos, and green marshmallows. Sadly, this is the year it fell apart. But at least I got a picture first. The last picture is a family Christmas Card picture.

Matthew & Jessica's Anniversary Adventure

Matt and I stayed at Powder Ridge for a night. It was so much fun. We lit a fire in the fire place, ate Hershey's cookies and cream chocolate drops and watched Hidalgo Then we went skiing the next morning. Matt had never been to Powder Mountain skiing before, so it was fun to show him where I have been skiing for years. Literally years. Grandpa took some pictures of us. I love skiing, especially when I am going super fast down a hill.

Recipe of the Week: Family Spaghetti Pie

This recipe sounds weird, but it is actually delicious. It comes from Campbell's Kitchen and once again I have added some commentary.

1 pound ground beef (or chicken tenders)

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1 cup Prego® Mushroom Italian Sauce

(Or any Prego® sauce you like)

3 cups hot cooked spaghetti

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until meat is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Pour off any fat. Stir picante sauce and Italian sauce into the skillet and cook until hot and bubbling. (For the chicken, I usually grill it on the George Foreman grill and then cut it into chunks and add it to the sauce and let it simmer for a bit.)

Mix the spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, egg and butter in a medium bowl. Spread on the bottom and up the side of greased 10-inch pie plate. Spread ricotta cheese in the spaghetti shell. Top with the beef mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges.

Oh Dear...

I am so wired. I think there was more than just a little bit of Mountain Dew in those Italian sodas. Curse you caffeine!

Recipe of the Week: Jessica's Chicken Chowder

This is recipe I came up with today while using what ever we had on hand in our apartment. It is the combination of a white chicken chili recipe (http://www.karenceliafox.com/ Eating/recipe_whitechili.htm) and a chicken chowder recipe.

2 large onions

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

2 cups milk

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups canned corn

2 cups canned carrots

(or what ever vegetable you want)

1/2 cup water

5 chicken tenders

(grilled and diced)

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese

(finely shredded)

1 tsp Tabasco Sauce

Mince the onions and then put them in a pan with a little oil. Cook until all the onions are translucent. In a large pot, melt 1/2 cup of butter over low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, for three minutes. Stir in the onions and gradually add the broth and milk, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Stir in, Tabasco, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add water, vegetables, chicken and cheese and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Fun Facts from a Mistletoe Box

http://daredevyl283.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/mistletoe.jpg

Mistletoe is not for human consumption (Just in case you got a mad craving for it)

Mistletoe has been the subject of many legends and traditions for hundreds of years. Ancient Druids considered mistletoe sacred because it grew without roots in the gound and assumed that it must have been planted by the gods. Mistletoe was thought to ban evil spirits and bring good luck and great blessings. When warriors met beneath mistletoe, they had to lay down their weapons and call a truce. From this, it became a sign of peace and good will. But why do we kiss people under the mistletoe?

It all started with a goddess called Frigga. Her son, Balder, was shot with an arrow made of mistletoe. Frigga's friends succeeded in conjuring up powers to save the boy. Balder lived anew and Frigga ordered that the mistletoe should never again be used to harm. Instead, she made it a symbol of love by kissing anyone who passed under it.

Reconnaissant

I'm grateful for my wonder life. I have an exceptional husband and an incredible family. Life is good.

It is Officially Winter

Winter finally came. And, it brought a cold, just for me. Now I have a pile of Ricola wrappers and tissues on my floor right next to the humidifier. This experience is making me grateful I do not have allergies.

Recipe of the Week: Fresh Rhubarb Pie

I just realized, I should have put up a Thanksgiving recipe. So in honor of the holiday I'm going to add another Recipe of the Week. This recipe is one of Matt's favorite and is from The Pushing Daisies secret recipes from the Pie Hole, with some commentary.

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

(I like to use 2 cups rhubarb and 2 cups fresh strawberries instead of the 4 cups rhubarb)

Preheat oven to 450°

Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb (and strawberries) over this mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.

Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold. (I vote warm)

For the Crust:

(Only makes one crust, needs to be doubled for a covered pie)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening, chilled

3 tablespoons ice water

Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening (I like using unsalted butter, terrible for you, but it tastes amazing) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together

Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling. (I never let it chill, I just make a pie with it and it usually turns out fine)

Roll out Dough, and put in a pie plate. (If making a covered pie, split in half then roll it out to make the top and bottom crusts)

Most Recent Read: Anahita's Woven Riddle

http://www.spongobongo.com/Oriental_Rugs/Persian_Rugs/images/Kashan_Rugs_Kashan_Carpet_from_RugMan.jpg

I just finished a book called "Anahita's Woven Riddle" by Meghan Nuttall Sayres. It was about an Iranian carpet weaver. I loved how it conveyed so much of the Iranian/Persian Nomadic culture. It reminded me of when my my mother and I visited Israel and Egypt. It was an incredible experience. When we were in Jerusalem, I remember hearing the the adhān being called in the morning , signaling the time for prayer. It is interesting to see all of the different people who visit Jerusalem. It is fascinating to me that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all consider it a holy place. I noticed, even though these individuals live in a desert where nearly everywhere you look is covered in brown sand, they find ways to add color. For example, the multiple shades of blue found inside and outside of mosques. The golden top to the Dome of the Rock. And the vibrant colors in the rugs they weave.

Recipe of the Week: Jessica's Cheesy Enchiladas

I created this recipe myself as I was trying to clean out my fridge. It turned out to be AMAZING. So, here it is:

Preheat the oven to 350°

1/2 Cup Salsa (La Victoria Cilantro)

1 Packet Taco Seasoning (McCormick)

Dash of Chili Pepper

1 Diced Tomato

1/8 Cup finely chopped Onion

3 Grilled Chicken Tenders, Diced

Spritz of Lime Juice

Add the appropriate amount of water for the taco seasoning to a sauce pan. Add all the other ingredients and simmer until it thickens.

3/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese

2 Cups Marble Cheddar

Dash 0f Parsley

Dash of Freshly Ground Pepper

Dash of Parmesan Cheese

In a separate bowl combine the cheeses, parsley and pepper. Mix throughly.

Put 1/4 cup of the taco and 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture into a tortilla. Roll it up and put it in about a 8 x 8 pan. Continue to add the mixtures to three more tortillas and roll them up and put them next to the first. Cover the tortillas with any remaining mixture or just add some marble cheddar to the top. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese and sauce starts bubbling and the enchiladas are heated throughout.

Hot Chocolate

I am addicted to hot chocolate. I have been trying to figure out why. Is it because I am often cold, and hot chocolate warms me up? Is it because it reminds me of sitting on a heater vent at my parents home while watching through a window as big snowflakes float from the sky? Maybe it's like in "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" when they are falling in the glass elevator through random candy explosions. Charlie says "Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy."

Recipe of the Week: Backofenschlufer

This recipe comes from my German Great-Grandmother, Ruth. She was amazing.  Apparently it means "bake-oven slide" or something.  It is the recipe for puffy oven pancakes.

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

6 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 450°, melt 4 tsp margarine in a 9 x 13 pan and then coat the bottom of the pan with the melted margarine. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and then pour them into the pan. Bake for 17 minutes. Try not to open the oven when it is baking, or it could collapse. Usually it puffs up nicely, but sometimes it will stay flat. I'm still trying to figure out what makes the difference in puffyness, and I will let you know if I find out.

Recipe of the Week: Fall Pumpkin Soup

http://www.applepiepatispate.com/soups-and-stews/whole-pumpkin-baked-cream-cheese/

Recipe from finecooking.com, with some commentary.

I made this soup for Matt for his Birthday. I think we also had sparkling apple-cranberry juice, however even if we didn't it would go really well with the soup.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

6 cups 1-inch-diced peeled, seeded sugar pumpkins

2 medium cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine (or white grape juice)

8 medium fresh sage leaves (optional)

4 to 6 cups lower-salt chicken broth

2 1/4 cup packed grated Gruyere cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 slices rustic bread (Artisan bread works well)

Gruyere cheese is expensive (it's swiss), but it is the best cheese I have every tasted. You need to try it at least once.

The Recipe says to boil the pumpkin, but I like to slice it up and bake it in the oven on a pan with about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom until it is tender. (When it has cooled a little you can just scoop it off of the rind.)

Also, if you want, save the pumpkin seeds, bake them in the oven with a little salt and oil until they are golden brown and then use them to garnish the soup.

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 4-to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute more. Add the wine (or grape juice) and the sage leaves (I don't add the sage) and cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups of broth, cover, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the pumpkin is very tender, about 25 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup of the Gruyere and using a handheld or standard blender, puree the soup (in batches if necessary). Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Return to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly and adding more broth as necessary to achieve a thin soup with the consistency of heavy cream. (The soup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat to serve)

Slice the bread so that each piece is about 1/2 inch thick. Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle the bread with the remaining 2 cups cheese and then minced sage (once again, I don't add sage) and season with pepper. Broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve with the bread.

Enjoy!

Canyon Walks

Winston

This is Winston our Beta Fish.

Washington

Rain

I love the sound of rain out of an open window. I've noticed overcast days have a way of making colors look more vibrant, more real. Especially in the Fall. Well early winter, it is November.

Crucibles

So I've been practicing typing as of lately. You can play "spacebar invaders" only so many times. So I thought I would write a note.

I titled this “Crucibles” because I have been thinking about crucibles lately. I use them at work to do loss on ignition tests. I think it is fascinating I can open the incinerator door when it is literally 800 degrees inside, and the side and bottom of the box will be glowing red hot, but the crucible inside remains untouched.

I remember in high school when we had to read "The Crucible” for English. I did not understand how symbolic this title was until I saw for myself what crucibles could withstand. Crucibles are supposed to remain unchanged even when subjected to extremely harsh conditions. Even though throughout the story it seems as if the characters do change, in the end we fundamentally see who the characters are. That is the crucible. We see what part of the individual remained after the intense fire and heat. Extremely difficult situations have a way of stripping back the layers of an individual’s personality until all that remains is what that person truly believes, what they are made of. What are you made of?

The trials we go though in this life are like incinerators. Each trial is not the same, and we all must pass though multiple fires. But it is important that we do pass though these difficult times. They show us who we fundamentally are. Anyone can steer a ship in a calm sea, but the true captain can battle the storm. Sometimes when you are going though an especially difficult time it is hard to see the reasons. But as we go though those fires we are cleansed and purified.

I have learned so much about myself in fires I have passed through. I know I will pass through many more, and while I do not look forward to difficult times, I am grateful for the opportunity they give me evaluate where I am. They help me see what need to do to get to where I want to be.