The first 50

Okay, okay. I have sixty-eleven things to do, but I've caved to the pressure, at least in part. Here's my first 50:

1. If I was on death row, I’d request a warm slice of cherry pie.
2. I've lost my engagement ring, wedding band, and a replacement wedding ring. Losing the latter was one of the worst days of my life.
3. I think Gene Wilder is strangely sexy.
4. I was the state winner in the GI Joe American Hero Essay contest in 1980. I won a $25 savings bond which I cashed in to pay for a swimming trip I had a few years later.
5. Mormon pop culture icons make me uncomfortable.
6. I used to rock climb in college.
7. I've hiked all the major peaks on the Wasatch Front except Twin Peaks.
8. I can't eat visible fat on meat.
9. I don't like Afterglow or like-sounding LDS performers.
10. I'm allergic to shellfish.
11. Gobs of melted cheese makes my stomach turn.
12. I used to be able 40 pushups in a row, and I've made a new goal to do that again.
13. I'm very competitive. I race people on treadmills at the gym.
14. If I could get another degree, I’d try culinary school, creative writing, anthropology, or art history.
15. I want to learn to play the violin.
16. My biggest fear: being forgotten. When I was little my family was on a trip and we stopped at a park in Blackfoot, ID for lunch. Everyone piled into the camper except me, and my family had been on the freeway for an hour until they realized I wasn't there!
17. Another fear: running into ex-boyfriends while I'm in sweats and no makeup at the store.
18. I crack my knuckles.
19. I find politics intriguing and would like to be more involved once my children are older.
20. My secret dream job: developing healthy and fun school lunch menus.
21. Sometimes I hold Jane long after she falls asleep, even when it's really late.
22. I rode the Ulcer 100-mile bike race when I was 17.
23. I'm a terrible housekeeper.
24. Since it's rivalry week, I'll say that I'm a "U" grad and fan, although as I get older I like this less as less as I find it often brings out the worst in people... especially you smug, self-righteous BYU fans HAHAHAHA!
25. Sometimes I want to say, "bag it" and move my family to say, some remote island in the Mediterranean and live a simple, sunny life.
26. I've breastfed my baby in front of a statue of Mr. Darcy. I really don't know what that means.
27. My heroes are women to choose family first and resist societal pressures.
28. I love irises. They remind me of my late grandma Dorothy.
29. I've been to see Crosby, Stills & Nash three times.
30. My first car: green 1980 Honda Accord.
31. I taught swim lessons for 7 years but don't teach my own children to swim.
32. Anthony Hopkins is my movie boyfriend.
33. I've been told I'm passive aggressive, whatever that means.
34. I love thank-you notes, or any sort of real mail for that matter.
35. I've eaten half a pan of rice krispie treats all at once. I was just trying to straighten the edge.
36. I’m afraid that there will be an earthquake and I won’t be prepared.
37. Ending up with Ed I feel like I won the lottery.
38. Somehow I manage to eat some sort of chocolate every day.
39. I’ve always, and I means always, had big thighs.
40. Were I not LDS I suspect I would be a total lush.
41. I hate waiting lines - it’s so demeaning.
42. I love listening to rain fall while I’m lying in bed on a Saturday morning.
43. I think I have ADHD – for realzies.
44. I’ve read Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” over 10 times
45. Thick slices of watery ham product makes me gag. I’m leaving my family a specific menu to serve at my funeral dinner.
46. I’m not a very good listener; my mind wanders.
47. I have sixty-four cousins, just on my mom’s side.
48. Europe’s greatest gift to mankind: marzipan
49. My great, great grandfather was Jesse N. Smith – Joseph Smith’s first cousin.
50. I yearn to be different, to break free of certain cultural stereotypes. In other words, don’t judge 30-something women in a white minivan careening around the corner trying to get her kids to school on time. Look closely (but not to close – there’s no makeup) and you might see something different.

Tourte Reform

My dad loves his cherry pie, and I usually make him one for his birthday. This year, I decided to shake things up by doing an apple tourte. This version is based on a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking, and features a sweet, crumbly crust and a chunky, cooked apple filling that includes ground almonds, raisins, vanilla, and apple cider. While the initial effort was good, I found the filling a little dry.
Since part of learning from baking successes and failures, I was determined to try it again. I cooked the apples a little less and left more liquid in the filling. I also didn't pre-bake the bottom crust as instructed in the recipe. The end result was much better than my first effort.
(Recipe to follow.)

Raspberry Tart Haiku

Soft warm raspberries
Crushed under sandy sugar
Hide from the children

Turning Over a New Loaf

Since my bread-baking extravaganza last year, I'm embarrassed to say haven't baked much bread. A guilty glimpse at my hoochy sourdough starter in the back of the fridge hasn't been enough to get me going again. However, with the cooling weather and rising bread prices, I've decided to start up again. The whole wheat loaf was a good start, as I single-handedly mowed through that moist, chewy loaf in a matter of days.
I must thank my good friend Alison who gave me my very first whole wheat bread recipe and encouraged me to just jump in and try my hand at bread baking. I'll never forget my first efforts. I remember giving a somewhat dense whole wheat loaf to the Lundgreen's. Their oldest son hefted it suspiciously, and I said something like "well, it's probably not like your mom's...". "No", he said. "It's not." I think I've gotten a little better since then, so there's hope for everyone!
(recipe to follow)

A Date to Remember

Earlier this year, my friend Amy made me a delicious date cake for my birthday. For those of you thinking, "gross", just knock that off right now. It was quite possibly the best cake I've ever had, and nearly single-handedly brought down my then-diet. The dates are pureed and create a moist, richly-flavored cake, and the toffee sauce can just be eaten straight from the pan, as far as I'm concerned. I made it again last month, although I don't think it was as good as Amy's original.
(recipe to follow)

Bits and Bobs

Ever polite, never crude, the British have a lovely way of putting things. Farts are "wind", boogers are "crusty dragons", and pulp is "bits".

Fish & Chips - the Standard

Think your neighborhood mall parking lot chain restaurant makes great fish & chips? Think again. This is a photo of our lovely meal at Oceans Fish Bar in Cleethorpes, England. The fish (this was a small portion) was tender; the breading, crisp and light. The chips were fresh and doused in salt and malt vinegar. The green stuff is mushy peas. Take that Mcgrath's.