our wedding, part 7: reception

Our reception hall - Bluewater Lodge

and the lake beside it

The room was decorated for us while we were off getting ready. I was completely floored when I saw it after the wedding. It was lovely.

This photo didn't turn out with the light behind it, so I adjusted it to b&w.

Riley and Courtney, our dear friends and attendants.

JT came up to me during the reception at least three times saying his phrase of the month, "Aunt Tate, wanna pway? wanna pwaaaaay?" I told him we were playing - we were at a party having fun.

Here he looks down on the activity from the loft.

Cutting the cake

And here are some guests watching the contradancing....

one last wedding post to come.

treasure

This is delightful:

When I was six or seven years old, growing up in Pittsburgh, I used to take a precious penny of my own and hide it for someone else to find. It was a curious compulsion; sadly, I've never been seized by it since. For some reason I always "hid" the penny along the same stretch of sidewalk up the street. I would cradle it at the roots of a sycamore, say, or in a hole left by a chipped-off piece of sidewalk. Then I would take a piece of chalk, and, starting at either end of the block, draw huge arrows leading up to the penny from both directions. After I learned to write I labeled the arrows: SURPRISE AHEAD or MONEY THIS WAY. I was greatly excited, during all this arrow-drawing, at the thought of the first lucky passer-by who would receive in this way, regardless of merit, a free gift from the universe. But I never lurked about. I would go straight home and not give the matter another thought, until, some months later, I would be gripped again by the impulse to hide another penny.

- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, chapter 2

And then she goes on about nature and seeing, linking it back to this story in metaphorical tones. I want everything she writes to be true.

I hope it is.

pie

I made pies to enjoy with our Norwegian friends tomorrow.

This one used most of the marshmallows my mother gave me back in August. It's easy, but incredibly decadent. Hence the name:

Decadent Truffle Bottom Chocolate Cream Pie

Graham Cracker crust
2 cups miniature marshmallows or 20 large marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Chips
1 cup (1/2 pt.) heavy whipping cream
Sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping(optional)
Chocolate curls(optional)

1. Prepare and bake pie crust in 9-inch pie plate as directed on package for unfilled 1-crust pie.

2. Place marshmallows and milk in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Add chocolate chips; stir until melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Spread 1 cup chocolate mixture over bottom of crust; refrigerate. Cool remaining mixture to room temperature.
3. Beat whipping cream until stiff; gradually blend into chocolate mixture, combining thoroughly. Spread over chocolate layer in pastry crust. Cover; refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or until well chilled. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover pie.

Graham Cracker (or BeBe Cracker) Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (use bebe crumbs here)
1/3 cup white sugar (I skipped because I think the crackers are sweet enough)
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

And I made two apple pies.

I used the family recipe for pie crust:

4 cups flour
2 teas. salt
1 T sugar

Blend in 1.5 cups of margarine (room temperature)

Mix together:
1 beaten egg
1 T vinegar
1/2 cup water

Pour into flour/butter while stirring with a fork. Mix until it's all combined, and shape into a ball. Divide it into 5 pieces. It freezes well.

and Apple Pie

Peel, core and slice 6-8 firm apples for each pie

Add this mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Bake at 215C until apples are tender.

Here are two goofy kids, eating pie.

And here's one cute baby. You can catch a glimpse of her teeth here.

rainy November

This is the perfect recipe for a rainy November evening:

Cheesy Noodle Bake

from Alissa, a CISP staff member from last year

Cook until browned:

1 lb of ground beef

1/2 an onion

Add and simmer low for 15-20 minutes:

garlic powder to taste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

dash of pepper
1 liter tomato sauce 

Meanwhile, cook and then drain:

1/2lb of noodles (250g)

Mix together:

1 package of cream cheese (or in CZ I use 2 little packages of Lučina)

1 cupt of sour cream (zakysana smetana)

Fill a casserole dish (smaller than 9by13 is fine) alternating layers of noodles, cheeses, and meat sause. Repeat.

Top with 1/2 cup grated cheese (eidam is OK)

Bake at 350F / 190C for 15-30 minutes

Garrett

• Garret Augustus Hobart was the name of the 24th American Vice-President.

Interestingly enough, he hails from New Jersey, but his roots come from Massachusetts. Also, his wife was born on the 21st of July.

Too bad he spelled his name wrong.

Anyone know the name of his president off the top of their head?

• Garrett Augustus Morgan, however, did spell it properly. He invented the traffic signal, the gas mask, and hair straighteners.

• Garrett P.I. is a series of novels about a man name Garrett, who was a P.I., believe it or not.

• Garrett is also a machine that was used in the middle ages to hurl large spears. And now Garrett means brave with a spear. Also, a garret is an attic.

• Garrett is the name of my husband, and his five-year-old nephew. It's a good name. I don't think I ever heard of it before I met him.

saturday mornings

...are good for buttermilk pancakes.

This is the family recipe:

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 T melted butter or oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk till blended.
Cook on a hot griddle.

Enjoy with raspberry jam or syrup or nutella or peanut butter.

acadia np

[Here's an unfinished post that I'll finish, just because I'd like to finish things I start, even if it was 2 years ago since I wrote it, and over 3 since I went.]

It's been over a year since I left Acadia National Park, but I'll try to remember some stories to attach to pictures of the beautiful place.

I really enjoyed my time there, especially our first day when we took a long and grueling bike ride.

We arrived late late at night at the park and did not have a reservation for camping. I don't think I realized what a potential problem this might be (peak season for the park and all that) but it's just as well we didn't worry, for God worked it all out so beautifully. We pulled in to the campsite just before the ranger left duty which was also just in time to get the unclaimed campsites for the night. So we had a place to sleep that night after a word from the ranger that we'd have to line up before 8am tomorrow to see if we could reserve the place again for the next night (but he was NOT going to make any promises, as he reiterated loudly multiple times).

Whatever, there was no problem getting the site either the next night or the next, and we had a wonderful two full days in Acadia.

Day 1:

We took a spectacular bike ride through the park. We biked more miles than I ever had at once, and there were a lot of hills. We biked down to the coast, and then up to a beautiful garden, and then up to a high viewpoint of the water. We were entirely wiped out the rest of the day, and the following one too.

Day 2:

We were still quite worn out from yesterday's travels. We took at hike along the shore. As I recall, I enjoyed hopping the shore rocks more than Courtney. I had no idea how much she didn't like it until the next day.

That afternoon we drove up to the top of Cadillac Mountain and took in the view. We saw a sometimes island down in the distance and rushed down so we could walk to it before the tide took it away. I've wanted to go to a sometimes island since I was a kid and read that book. Do you remember it, Mother?

For tea time, we went to Jackson Pond where there was a tea house. Then we climbed up Bubble Rock which had both cool views and neat rocks. A seagull amused us.

Day 3:

Actually, at this point, three years later, I can't remember the day breaks. But for effect...
Just before leaving we drove out to the southern part of the island to see a light house.

This is where I learned that Courtney REALLY doesn't like rocks. I don't know how I missed this in our travels out west.

We get to the light house, but our view from up top is rather lame. I want to see the building against the rough coast. There are some rocks off the land from where I think we could have a nice picnic. I scamper down. Courtney is not willing. She makes it close, but won't make the final leap onto my rock. I am mean: I'm carrying the sandwiches. I hope this will coax her over.

It doesn't. It only means that we are creating an amusing spectacle for all the old folk behind us. They see me cajoling her. They see her refusing to take the last step to my rock with the ultimate view. And they are actually chuckling.

You can see by the last photo that I did hand her a sandwich, and she is smiling, so she'd forgiven me for pushing her and attention I had brought on us.

I thought Maine was beautiful.

scattered wits

Have you ever wondered about how all the people of the world got their varied genes from two people? I wonder what Adam and Eve looked like.

I think my sister suggested that perhaps they had a very large gene pool themselves. Somehow, God gave their DNA all the capacity for skin types and hair color and eye shapes one could have.

I imagine this to make sense; I got bad grades in Biology. I picture their fifth child coming out with a head of red hair, and they exclaiming, "Oh, look, humans can have red hair too!"

And then, when Eve was pregnant again, "I wonder if this one might have blue hair?"

I doubt either of them asked, like Mark, "Will the baby be human?" Though I do wonder how Eve had any idea what was happening to her. I guess God did a lot of talking with them in the Garden before the Fall.

I hope we get to meet them in heaven.