Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

My mom never ceases to surprise me with the random literature she sends me. Today, it was this: Got to love her.

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry about using cold water to clean. John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Saskatchewan. After spending a great evening chatting the night away,
the next morning John’s grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking, ‘Are these plates clean?’ His grandfather replied, ‘They’re as clean as cold water can get em.' Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!’

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates, as his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, ‘Are you sure these plates are clean?’ Without looking up the old man said, ‘I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don’t you fret, I don’t want to hear another word about it!’

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl, and wouldn’t let him pass. John yelled and said, ‘Grandfather, your dog won’t let me get to my car.'Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted!
‘Coldwater, go lay down now, yah hear me!’

Meet Coldwater!

photo.

Anderson Gardens

Nestled alongside historic Lake Ripley in Litchfield, Minnesota, Anderson Gardens is known for peace, serenity and beauty. The simple setting, overlooking the lake, and lovely foliage provides a perfect setting for wedding shots, a quiet stroll and dedication to lost loved ones. Check out their website for more information.

Recipe Review: Fannie Farmer's Baked Mac & Cheese

Think outside of the (blue) box.
I found this recipe on FOOD.com after searching for a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. Something to satisfy the typical, comfort food mood. With about 400/500 reviews saying nothing but good things, I thought I'd give this recipe a try.

1 (8 oz.) package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

Directions:
1] Preheat oven to 400°F.
2] Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
3] In a large saucepan melt butter.
4] Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
5] Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6] Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7] Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
8] Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
9] Turn off flame.
10] Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
11] Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
12] Sprinkle with breadcrumbs - I used Ritz crackers.
13] Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

14] (You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - I generally pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; I then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling.

If I were to make this again:

I would use a different type of pasta - the macaroni noodles tended to absorb so much of the liquid, small shells may have worked better. Cut down the flour to 1-2 tablespoons. I subbed 2 c. half and half for the milk and cream - because the noodles absorbed so much, I feel like I added at least 2 more c. of milk. The sharper the cheese, the better - I would add 3 c., not 2. I was OK with how it turned out. It was a lot of work, but I feel like with smaller noodles, more cheese and more liquid, this would've been MUCH better. This is not a very good day later dish, so next time I'd make just enough for one meal.

Happy Father's Day

To ALL dads!

But mostly, to my dad.
The glue that holds our family together. The ear that is always willing to listen. The man that taught me the life lessons that I live by. The warm hug whenever I need it. Thank you for always being there for us whenever we need anything!
I am truly blessed to have a man like you in my life!

Get Up, Get Out.

Seeing as this is my first summer unconfined to the obnoxioulsy air-conditioned classroom, I have found myself consumed by the thought of being outside. As a child, I was ALWAYS outside (exploring in the woods, tenting out, swimming at g'ma and g'pa's, and so on). I became distracted by school and now that I have more free time, I have added a few items to my want list - scratch the high heels, handbags or cosmetics - today, my friends, I went TENNIS SHOE shopping.

What the hell, right? Once I laced up those bad boys, my mind immediately thought back to my track and cross country days. I tried to look past the sore muscles, side aches, involuntary vomiting, etc. and was genuinely excited. Pictured below, is a shot of my last official XC run (mind you, this took place in 2007). You won't see me prepping for marathons anytime soon, but I'd like to think that I'm easing into it. Another addition includes a bike (street or trail), there are so many trails around us, and I miss that, as well. With that being said, I'd opt for a bike rack for the little Yaris. I'm definitely looking forward to the activities on my calender for the summer.

Being busy is the only way to be, in my opinion! In two weeks, Jon and I will be heading up to Lake Superior for some camping with high school friends. Beginning of July, we will be doing the annual canoe/kayak trip down the Crow River with family and friends. And, the finale, August 5th, we'll be road tripping to Seattle, WA and trekking over to the Vancouver, CA area, for family, the beauty of the area, time away and, maybe most importantly, grad schools. If the weather cooperates, we are looking to do some disbursed camping, on the way there and back (saving us the cost of a hotel room). I'm a little indifferent, as of now, Jon's still in the process of convincing me on that one. Something about sleeping on the ground after driving for hours on end doesn't rub me the right way.

Obsessively Organized

Does a trait like this even exist?
And, if so, would one consider it to be a positive quality in a human being? Evidently so. As I was typically browsing through some classifieds on Craigslist, I came across this job ad (pictured below).

At first, I did a double take, and after I realized its seriousness, had to laugh. Thank you, Craigslist.

It's Not About You

My lovely boyfriend showed me this article, given to him in one of his classes. Written by David Brooks for The New York Times, the piece establishes what college graduates are now facing as the enter the unstructured job market and inherit a massive amount of federal debt. It also explains that more and more students are finding their calling based on problems that they have faced in their lives thus far, as they are now rooted with that calling to solve the problem instead of finding a generic career that puts food on the table. This article resonates with me, because I find myself so eager to go to grad school and, hopefully, my summer trip to the Canada/Seattle area will confirm that. As a recent grad, nearing the anniversary of my first year out of academia, I find myself unsatisfied with where I am at, I am disgusted at the job market and think there really is no better time to go back to school - to ultimately, boost the value of my degree, but moreso, to learn.

A week after I graduated with my Bachelors, I already had a long list of field books that I wanted to check out from the library. Social Psych. fascinates me, and I am determined to get there, one way or another. For myself and for my future. Today's employers do not respect college grads like they used to - without experience, a degree doesn't mean a thing. Money will always be an issue. Education, on the other hand, is something that can never be taken away.

Congratulations

To my little brother.
I guess he's not very little anymore, seeing as he's almost 6 feet tall and just recently, graduated from hike school. I'm not going to lie, it definitely doesn't make me feel younger, and now that my parents are empty nesters, saying our daily household will be different would be an understatement. Both the ceremony and the festivities took place this past weekend, and it makes me think - was that already four years ago? It's crazy how fast time flies.
Best of luck, little bruddah.

Easy Asparagus

I have just recently added this veg to the favorites category, for a few reasons - 1] It's now in season, so it's fairly cheap (Rainbow: $1.99/lb). 2] Preparation couldn't be more simple. 3] Asparagus is super healthy for you - remember, with veggies, the greener the better. I tend to opt for the skinny stalks as opposed to the thicker ones, since they tend to be less woody/stringy.

My favorite way to prepare asparagus is probably the easiest. Chop stalks to desired length, boil/salt water and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. They really boil quickly, so make sure you do a few test bites to make sure they aren't overdone (and who's complaining about that one? - Not I.) Season with coarse salt and veggie pepper and BAM - done in a cinch. I also added asparagus to my last pan of tator tot hotdish (added about 10 mins. before bake time was done) and it was AMAZING. Have a favorite asparagus recipe? Do share!

Grandpa's Workshop

My grandpa is super crafty and I believe his genes may be one of the reasons why I am always wanting to cultivate something out of nothing. Ever since I was small, I remember him making wooden shelves, picture frames, blanket stands, tables - you name it - he makes it, the man's amazing. Over the Easter holiday visit home, I snuck inside of one of my favorite places in the world - his workshop.