We found the chair in the background last weekend at an art gallery. It was made from the wood of an old barn. As soon as our raised beds arrive and we get them planted, I will take another picture.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Front Yard
Now that the major work on the backyard and inside of the house is completed, we have started working on the front yard.
We found the chair in the background last weekend at an art gallery. It was made from the wood of an old barn. As soon as our raised beds arrive and we get them planted, I will take another picture.
We found the chair in the background last weekend at an art gallery. It was made from the wood of an old barn. As soon as our raised beds arrive and we get them planted, I will take another picture.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tiki Cocktail Cake
We received a special request from an employee at North Star Lodge to make the Tiki Cocktail Cake featured in the June 2011 issue of the Food Network Magazine. We made the cake last night and Susan took it to work with her this morning.
Isn't this just cute? Out of all the cakes we have put together in the last year, this was by far the easiest to make and decorate.
Isn't this just cute? Out of all the cakes we have put together in the last year, this was by far the easiest to make and decorate.
New Additions
Susan loves to hang clothes outside so when she asked for a clothesline for Christmas I bought her one. A retractable one made the most sense so I looked at products over the Internet and purchased the one I thought would work best considering the information provided. Susan loved it, unfortunately, if we followed the directions, our layout did not leave us with an option for hanging the retractable end of the lines. We discussed the problem with our contractor and he told us that he could make it work and last weekend he came over and put up the clothesline. It is just perfect. Not only can we retract the lines when we are not using them, but the whole unit just lifts off the garage wall so we can bring it inside in the winter.
When we moved into our new house last year, we both decided that we were either going to use all the stuff we kept when we combined our houses or we were going to give it away. We must have at least five birdhouses without anyplace to put them. Our contractor built this post for us and we had him put it right outside the fence in the backyard so we can watch the birds when they take up residence.
The next step will be to paint the other houses so we can add at least two more to this post.
When we moved into our new house last year, we both decided that we were either going to use all the stuff we kept when we combined our houses or we were going to give it away. We must have at least five birdhouses without anyplace to put them. Our contractor built this post for us and we had him put it right outside the fence in the backyard so we can watch the birds when they take up residence.
The next step will be to paint the other houses so we can add at least two more to this post.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Mother's Day
Susan and I were not able to celebrate Mother's Day with Mom this year as they were still in Arizona, so we celebrated last weekend when they stopped and stayed with us for four days on their way up to Port Susan. We took Mom to lunch at The Whitehouse Cafe. We all ordered something different but as always the food was wonderful and we enjoyed our visit.
While it could not be a surprise since she was here, we also made her a teapot cake. Mom loves teapots and we thought this cake was just perfect for her. The pound cake has been baked and cut into the bottom and top of the cake and the lid.
The teapot is taking shape.
The body of the teapot is frosted and the lid is in place.
Susan had the hard job of kneading the fondant in order to work in the different colors for the flowers and then I cut them out.
Susan molded the handle, spout and the top of the lid out of marzipan.
Flowers are going on the teapot and heart sprinkles line the base of the lid.
The finished product. Mom liked her teapot and we had a great time making it.
While it could not be a surprise since she was here, we also made her a teapot cake. Mom loves teapots and we thought this cake was just perfect for her. The pound cake has been baked and cut into the bottom and top of the cake and the lid.
The teapot is taking shape.
The body of the teapot is frosted and the lid is in place.
Susan had the hard job of kneading the fondant in order to work in the different colors for the flowers and then I cut them out.
Susan molded the handle, spout and the top of the lid out of marzipan.
Flowers are going on the teapot and heart sprinkles line the base of the lid.
The finished product. Mom liked her teapot and we had a great time making it.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Pittsburgh Visit
Susan and I went to Pittsburgh for the last week in May to visit with Julie, Tommy and Adam. They live in Mt. Lebanon on Pittsburgh's south side and we stayed in a hotel within a few miles of their house. Susan has not seen Adam since he started walking so it was a special vacation for her and she got to spend some quality time with him.
The day after we arrived Tommy and Julie took us to the Fairmont Hotel where Tommy works for lunch. I put a blue outline around the Fairmont Hotel to show what the hotel looks like from our seats at PNC Ballpark.
The restaurant, Habitat, has an open kitchen. This image shows the view of the kitchen from our table.
Our appetizers were Edamame and Naan bread with hummus, carmalized onions and cucumber dipping sauces.
A couple of the chefs preparing our lunch.
They are getting ready to bring our food to the table. The sweet potato fries are fantastic, as was all of the food.
This is how the hotel describes the restaurant on their website: Experience the signature appeal of Habitat - one of the best downtown Pittsburgh restaurants, with an international approach to domestic fare. Savor a distinctive experience that is internationally inspired yet home grown. Indulge in a contemporary twist on conventional confort foods. Using local ingrediatent to update traditional dishes from around the world, Habitat defines regional cuisine. The restaurant also features a spectacular chef's table next to a dynamic open kitchen, as well as an elegant bar.
We took in a Pirates games while in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the Cubs won this particular game but the weather was fantastic and the ballbark is beautiful.
Susan and I walked around the park to see what we could find in the gift shop. The red square near the center of the picture is what Tommy, Adam and Julie looked like from the other side of the ballpark. We had nice seats on the club level where we could go inside when we needed to cool down and sit on comfortable couches while watching the game on TV.
The Strip is a revitalized section of downtown Pittsburgh. I saw this mural on the side of one of the buildings.
One of Tommy and Julie's favorite places to eat breakfast is DeLuca's on The Strip. The food was great and the place was packed. They serve Chocolate Chip pancakes with ice cream on them for breakfast. That should give you a clue that this is not healthy fare, but it was fun.
We went into a candy store and found this chocolate sculpture of Rapunzal.
The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company is also in this section of downtown. This is just part of the board identifying the variety of cheese for sale.
There was a wonderful spice store that we spent quite a bit of time in looking at everything.
One afternoon was spent at the Pittsburgh Science Center. I really enjoyed this place. Some of us tried our had at performing surgery; Susan and Tommy toured a submarine and Adam enjoyed walking up and down the ramps. In this picture, Adam is putting balls into a vacuum tube, which lifted them into a holding tank above his head. When the weight of the balls reached a certain point, all the balls would drop and the kids really liked that.
Tommy and I both tried to get a picture of the tentacles sticking out of Adam's mouth as he ate Calamari at Buca diBeppo's. Adam is not a picky eater to say the least.
One of our favorite places to walk around while we were in Pittsburgh was Giant Eagle, a grocery store that thankfully was located right across the road from our hotel. The store is awesome and pictures would not do it justice, but I did take a picture of the wine kiosks having never seen one before. In Pennsylvania, you cannot be wine in grocery stores but they do have these kiosks that are run by the State Liquor Control Board. You have to show ID and take a breathalizer test before you can purchase the wine.
We had a very good time on this trip and look forward to visiting again.
The day after we arrived Tommy and Julie took us to the Fairmont Hotel where Tommy works for lunch. I put a blue outline around the Fairmont Hotel to show what the hotel looks like from our seats at PNC Ballpark.
The restaurant, Habitat, has an open kitchen. This image shows the view of the kitchen from our table.
Our appetizers were Edamame and Naan bread with hummus, carmalized onions and cucumber dipping sauces.
A couple of the chefs preparing our lunch.
They are getting ready to bring our food to the table. The sweet potato fries are fantastic, as was all of the food.
This is how the hotel describes the restaurant on their website: Experience the signature appeal of Habitat - one of the best downtown Pittsburgh restaurants, with an international approach to domestic fare. Savor a distinctive experience that is internationally inspired yet home grown. Indulge in a contemporary twist on conventional confort foods. Using local ingrediatent to update traditional dishes from around the world, Habitat defines regional cuisine. The restaurant also features a spectacular chef's table next to a dynamic open kitchen, as well as an elegant bar.
We took in a Pirates games while in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the Cubs won this particular game but the weather was fantastic and the ballbark is beautiful.
Susan and I walked around the park to see what we could find in the gift shop. The red square near the center of the picture is what Tommy, Adam and Julie looked like from the other side of the ballpark. We had nice seats on the club level where we could go inside when we needed to cool down and sit on comfortable couches while watching the game on TV.
The Strip is a revitalized section of downtown Pittsburgh. I saw this mural on the side of one of the buildings.
One of Tommy and Julie's favorite places to eat breakfast is DeLuca's on The Strip. The food was great and the place was packed. They serve Chocolate Chip pancakes with ice cream on them for breakfast. That should give you a clue that this is not healthy fare, but it was fun.
We went into a candy store and found this chocolate sculpture of Rapunzal.
The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company is also in this section of downtown. This is just part of the board identifying the variety of cheese for sale.
There was a wonderful spice store that we spent quite a bit of time in looking at everything.
One afternoon was spent at the Pittsburgh Science Center. I really enjoyed this place. Some of us tried our had at performing surgery; Susan and Tommy toured a submarine and Adam enjoyed walking up and down the ramps. In this picture, Adam is putting balls into a vacuum tube, which lifted them into a holding tank above his head. When the weight of the balls reached a certain point, all the balls would drop and the kids really liked that.
Tommy and I both tried to get a picture of the tentacles sticking out of Adam's mouth as he ate Calamari at Buca diBeppo's. Adam is not a picky eater to say the least.
One of our favorite places to walk around while we were in Pittsburgh was Giant Eagle, a grocery store that thankfully was located right across the road from our hotel. The store is awesome and pictures would not do it justice, but I did take a picture of the wine kiosks having never seen one before. In Pennsylvania, you cannot be wine in grocery stores but they do have these kiosks that are run by the State Liquor Control Board. You have to show ID and take a breathalizer test before you can purchase the wine.
We had a very good time on this trip and look forward to visiting again.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Homemade Rigatoni
Susan loves pasta and she also likes to cook, so it is not surprising that she likes to make her own noodles. She has always wanted the Pasta Press for our KitchenAid mixer and she finally bought one.
The press has a variety of plates including spaghetti, bucatini, fusilli, large and small macaroni and the rigatoni.
I was not watching Susan making the rigatoni but I know she had fun because I could hear her giggling from my room. The pasta was very good, much better than the packaged product.
The press has a variety of plates including spaghetti, bucatini, fusilli, large and small macaroni and the rigatoni.
I was not watching Susan making the rigatoni but I know she had fun because I could hear her giggling from my room. The pasta was very good, much better than the packaged product.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Landscaping
Last month I posted this photo of the area just outside the fence that was being cleared of weeds so our landscaper could put in plants.
A large group of guys showed up on Tuesday to complete the planting process. I did not take a picture of the individual trees and shrubs that they planted in the wetlands but we now have 150 new trees out there.
Around the fence in the backyard, we had Vinca planted in just a couple of rows so they can spread out over time. There is a new mister pipe running through this bed and the steps are new that lead out to the wetlands.
Our contractor is here today putting down weed control cloth and covering it with small rock around the back and side of the shop. Not only does this keep the weeds under control but it is a great fire barrier. It looks so nice and he is not even done yet. Yippee!
A large group of guys showed up on Tuesday to complete the planting process. I did not take a picture of the individual trees and shrubs that they planted in the wetlands but we now have 150 new trees out there.
Around the fence in the backyard, we had Vinca planted in just a couple of rows so they can spread out over time. There is a new mister pipe running through this bed and the steps are new that lead out to the wetlands.
Our contractor is here today putting down weed control cloth and covering it with small rock around the back and side of the shop. Not only does this keep the weeds under control but it is a great fire barrier. It looks so nice and he is not even done yet. Yippee!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saguaro Lake Cruise
We took a 90 minute narrated cruise on the Desert Belle Tour Boat around Saguaro Lake. The lake is 10 miles long with 22 miles of shoreline. The Stewart Mt. dam is located on the South East corner of the lake. There was a tremendous amount of boat traffic on the lake on this particular day so we did not see any interesting wildlife, unless you consider Turkey Vultures interesting. The scenery was beautiful and extremely varied.
We had lunch at the Lakeshore Restaurant that is barely visible in these trees above the boat launch location.
The four peaks can be seen in the distance.
According to our tour guide a variety of animals are visible from the lake when the conditions are right. Mountain lions, mountain goats, bald eagles, rattle snakes, and multiple species of birds are just some of the animals that call this area home.
We had lunch at the Lakeshore Restaurant that is barely visible in these trees above the boat launch location.
The four peaks can be seen in the distance.
According to our tour guide a variety of animals are visible from the lake when the conditions are right. Mountain lions, mountain goats, bald eagles, rattle snakes, and multiple species of birds are just some of the animals that call this area home.
Tombstone Extras
These Texas trail saddles are two of the oldest saddles on display. They date to shortly after the Civil War, and were ridden by drovers moving cattle from Texas to Kansas. Their design is typical of early cowboy saddles. Only the rear half of the saddle seat is covered, and the stirrups are visible looping through the wood saddle tree. The double rigging uses two cinches to help secure the saddle during roping. The high back cantle and steep front pommel provided security during hard riding. These light-weight saddles were easy on cow ponies that might be ridden five hours a day.
The Piano Box Buggy was introduced in 1855 by R.M. Stivens in New York City. It became the msot popular vehicle in America. The square box simplified construction and by 1900, mass production had lowered the price to approximately $50.00. This buggy has rubber tires which were first introduced around 1890. Among the fastest vehicles on the road, buggies earned their name from the insects found pasted on the dashboard after a rapid trip. Businessmen rented this "doctors" buggy for about $8 per day.
Mom and Dad testing out one of the buggies on display.
This famous old newspaper published its first sheet in 1880 when Tombstone was a blood-drenched town dominated by gunmen, rustlers and businessmen who thought foremost of their quick riches. Today, occupying an anceint adobe building which was one of the town's biggest dance halls, the Epitaph still grinds out its printed message on a cranky old Campbell press.
This famous old newspaper published its first sheet in 1880 when Tombstone was a blood-drenched town dominated by gunmen, rustlers and businessmen who thought foremost of their quick riches. Today, occupying an anceint adobe building which was one of the town's biggest dance halls, the Epitaph still grinds out its printed message on a cranky old Campbell press.
Schieffelin Hall, 1880, built in honor of Tombsone's founder Ed Schieffelin.
These next couple of picture are back-lit stainglass artwork hanging inside the Longhorn BBQ.
Close to the location of the actual shootout, you can view a reinactment of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Exhibits include Fly's Gallery, Doc Holiday's room, a 25-minute Historama and several artifacts from the period.
This is the marker at the site of the actual gunfight.
The Crystal Palace Saloon. We had a very good lunch here.
There is a great deal of history here and we could have easily spent two full days to see everything. Many of the buildings are protected as historic monuments.
The Good Enough Mine - Tombstone
The Good Enough mine is an actual 1870's silver mine founded by Ed Shieffelin. This gate is the site of the original find and mine entrance.
This type of drill was invented shortly before the Good Enough Mine closed.
This type of drill was invented shortly before the Good Enough Mine closed.
Click on the picture below for a better view of the mine "potty" car. Use the back button on your browser to return to the blog. How would you like to have the job of rolling this portable toilet through the mine all day long, cleaning it out and making sure it was available for 100 men?
These holes represent different shafts of the mine. There were five levels in this mine. It was considered one of the safest mines to work in because of the limestone walls. The support beams are still the original logs.
The dark gray on these bolders is the unprocessed silver from inside the mine.
The men would open these cans of beans, etc. for lunch. The fact that the cans were sealed with lead; the men were working with mercury while processing the silver and they had access to liquor and hand guns might explain why Tombstone was such a rowdy place. 
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