Thanksgiving Leftovers

Hmm…



turkey day leftovers…

Just as tasty the second time around…

Hey! There’s more than enough to go around…

Ooh…I need a breather. I feel like a stuffed bird!

Wait!!! I hope we haven’t been taxidermied!?

Hope your leftovers are just as tasty!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

From our house to yours...

The Road...to Ft Collins, CO

Just some of what we see everytime we drive to and from Ft Collins, CO







Pretty...ain't it!

Family, Whole Foods & a Pinata...

My folks flew into Denver on Saturday morning for a long Thanksgiving visit.

My uncle J and cousin T, who live in Denver, met them at the airport and drove them to Ft Collins.

We all hooked up in Ft Collins and had breakfast.

We also met up with D, another cousin who's a graduate student at Colorado State.

We ate at the Silver Grill.

The restaurant was okay, but the cinnamon toast and the company were great.

It’s always nice to catch up with family.

It was a tight fit on the ride back with the five of us and the luggage.

But we had to get a turkey and a few other things at Whole Foods.

We had to put the cooler with perishables on the floor in front.

A neighbor had asked us to stop and get a Pinata for their daughter’s birthday.

They wanted just a small one.

The shop only had one size.

Large...

We had no place to put it, except for here…



or here…

Fortunately, we managed to squeeze it all in and the luggage made it...the food made it...the pinata made it.

Creative Blogger Award...

My dear blog-o friend, Andi, a great and funny lady who lives on a ranch in Eastern Oregon, sent me this Kreativ Blogger Award.

Shucks, Andi. Thank you!

Andi has been my…all-things-small-town…lifeline since even before I moved here.

We first met earlier this year via some card making sites.

I then discovered that she was a former Hollywood, CA gal who met, fell in love and married a handsome rancher dude and then moved with him and their young babies out to a ranch in…the middle of almost nowhere…Eastern, Oregon.

Now a rancher dude-ette herself of many years, Andi leads an unbelievably hectic and non-stop…yet amazingly exciting---at least from where I sit…life with her rancher dude husband and children.

I almost always laugh when reading her tales of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of being a rancher dud-ette and usually need a nap (or a stiff drink) afterwards just to re-coup from the exhaustion “I feel” in just reading her blog.

Man-o-man…is she ever one busy ranching dud-ette!

Sometime when you have a minute or two…grab a hot cup of coffee and sit for a spell and read her blog-o’s, which you can find here and here

So here’s the deal…I’m to list 7 things you don’t know about me and then pass the award on to 7 others.

Trouble is…I don’t know 7 other blog-o-people well enough to pass on this award.

Oh well.

On to the seven things you may not know about me…

Before we move away from this part of the country I want to…leave knowing that I am truly a “Frontier Woman” and…

1. be able to ride a horse…I mean “really” ride a horse

2. be able to shoot a bow and arrow (but not shoot anything)

3. Fly fish…or maybe ice fish

4. Know how to drive in snow

5. Not be afraid to drive in snow

6. Know how to handle my car on ice

7. Be able to drive to Denver (or at least Ft Collins) all by little lonesome

8. Rope a calf

9. Dress a deer

Oh wait…that’s nine. I must be kidding about the last two!

There’s one last item, however, that can’t be omitted.

To some extent, Andi is the inspiration behind “Almost Due West.”

Yeah. I would have eventually started a blog-o about our journey due west, but it was Andi’s story-telling that gave me the nudge and the inspiration to start my own.

So Andi…Thanks, kiddo!

Speaking of food…

Ironically, I had a pre-planned luncheon date with two other “new-to-town” ladies.

One also has a Legal Dude at the School of Law and the other is from Virginia.

We had lunch downtown in one of Laramie's two vegetarian restaurants.

I like the look of the street it’s on, which is the last street on the East side of town and right next to the railroad tracks.



I also like the look of their sign...juxtaposed against the street lamps.



Sweet Melissa's is just up the street from this shop…



One of the two bike shops in town.

I like their sign too…

Even in a small town…

There are families who go hungry.

The Community Service's arm of the University of Wyoming Women’s Group helped box Holiday Thanksgiving Baskets for 34o families who are struggling this year.



In a small town...you can get a fishbowl sense of what goes on in the world at large.



What I mean by that…ev-er-y-where you turn someone is seeking donations for those who are struggling.

The grocery stores

The downtown vendors

The University

The School of Law

The local churches and Jewish Community

Even Wal-Mart

All during a time when news reports indicate that charitable donations and contributions are down.

Makes one feel kind of warm and fuzzy about the community to which they’ve moved to…

No wind today…

But there is still a lot of snow.


The driveway, which was never shoveled.

In fact…ice is under the packed-down snow.

But the sun is shinning.

I was hauling lots of recycling materials to the curb and working in the garage.


So many boxes...so much unpacking

In the sun…wearing just a short sleeved shirt...it feels like 65 degrees.

I could go for a walk in my short sleeved short...and not be cold.

I could go for a walk…and get a really, really nice tan.

I could go for a walk and then experience temporary sun blindness.

It’s that bright and intense...especially as the sunlight reflects off the bright, white snow.

Even in the shade I could get by with just a hoodie.

No wonder the locals go tramping around in shorts and t-shirts on days like today.

See this...

One of the hazards, so I’m told, of Wyoming driving…or driving in and around Wyoming.

It happened two weekends ago on our way to Ft Collins.

I thought the teenager was popping a juice can in the back seat.

Wish that he had…instead of this.

For the record…I wasn’t trying to take a shot of this.

I was going for the sign ahead, which reads “Caution --- Strong Winds Next 11 Miles,” or something like that.

The sign is 15 miles out…as you head into Laramie.

Guess my camera had other ideas about what to focus on.

Sigh...

After the Snow...

Wyoming woman with shovel…



Igloos on wheels…

This guy did a great job so it’s not the best example….but imagine the entire car covered in this much snow except for a small peep-hole on the driver’s side.

The Onion Domes of Laramie…

The Birds…

Do they know something we don’t?

I have to do something to entertain myself after all the shoveling...

Happy Friday

Don’t know what it’s doing in your neck of the woods, but here it’s …what else…snowing!



It started around 11 pm last night.

Haven’t gone out to get that snow blower yet, so hope they’re right and we don’t get the two to three feet we got blasted with the week before Halloween.

An hour ago, the snow was blowing so hard that visibility was limited and I couldn’t see the school across the street!

Please raise your hand if you’ve already had snow...just once...this year.

Yeah…thought so.

Stay warm, stay dry, or stay cool…wherever you may be.

Bunko anyone...

I attended a Bunko party this evening.

I’d never even heard of Bunko before moving here.

It’s one of the University of Wyoming Women’s groups I joined…in an effort to get to know other women.

It’s an extremely simple game, but quite entertaining and fun.

Little prizes were handed out to the top winners…and losers.

I got to meet and chat with some new and interesting woman while improving my visual skills and working on my mouth/hand-coordination.

Um…I find it a bit challenging to try and chat while throwing dice AND keep tabs on those little tiny dots on each die.

Thank goodness I didn’t have to keep score too!

Chicago…I’m bringing in a new game in for the holidays!

Not a fan of Wal-mart, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...

Laramie has two (2) grocery stores…an Albertsons and a Safeway.

There is no option for which Albertsons or Safeway to shop. You either shop at one…or the other.

We also have the Big Hallow Co-op and the Whole Earth Grainery.

One carries some local produce, local frozen meats and poultry, local farm fresh milk, lots of tofu, bulk grains and a goodly selection of Whole Foods-esque items.

The other carries lots of fresh herbs and spices, teas, vacuum-packed olives, legumes and frozen fish, and some interesting cheeses, health products and a goodly selection of gourmet sauces and condiments.

The Safeway also carries a rather nice selection of Asian and Hispanic condiments and a Kosher section to rival most grocery stores in Arlington, which isn’t saying much.

Albertson’s has a better selection of artisan breads, a bit more in the way of cheese options and it might have better produce, but it doesn't carry my favorite Greek yogurt.

But none of these shops carry these…



But Wal-Mart does!

Go figure.

We have this recipe for a Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart, which we make using these little fillo tartlet shells and which you can find here.



The Legal Dude asked me to make them for our recent Halloween gathering.

I thought…yeah, like I’m really going to find these fillo shells here.

So imagine my surprise when I spied them at Wal-mart of all places!

Give them a try.



They are super delicious, easy to make and ALWAYS, ALWAYS a big hit at any party.


That is…if you can find the shells at your local, neighborhood grocery store.

The Way We Get By…

photo from PBS.org

I heard a fitting piece for Veteran’s Day on WPR this afternoon.

It’s a documentary film on ‘troop greeters in Bangor, Maine.’

"On call 24 hours a day for the past five years, a group of senior citizens (many of them veterans) has made history by greeting over 900,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine."

"These citizens have taken it upon themselves to greet every troop plane arriving or departing Bangor, which is the last and first piece of U.S. soil many GIs will see before and after their deployments."

"The film is an intimate look at three of these greeters as they confront the universal losses that come with aging and rediscover their reason for living."

I heard the filmmaker and his mother (one of the inspirations for the film) interviewed on Talk of the Nation.

I was deeply moved by their interview and the story of these troop greeters.

I have yet to see the film, as we were at the dinner banquet, but it’s been recorded and is waiting to be watched.

You can find more info about the film here and here.

First High Altitude Cake…

The teenager had his basketball banquet tonight.

It was potluck.

I decided to try and bake a cake…something I’ve been shying away from.

Figured…if it didn’t turn out, I’d just run out to the store and get a store bought cake.

My first cake attempt at an altitude of over 7,000 feet…



It may not be pretty, but at least it didn’t...

(a) explode
(b) fall flat like a pancake
(c) turn to liquid mush, which I’m told can be a frequent occurrence at higher altitudes.

Everyone here has suggestions…and I applied them all

I used a recipe from this cookbook…



It took a bit longer to get the cake into the oven.

I had to calculate the correct ingredient increase/decrease between the Cake Doctor’s recipe and the high altitude instructions on the back of the cake box, while keeping in mind what the locals had told me.

My first attempt, “Darn Good Chocolate Cake” puffed up beautifully and baked in no time.



Looking much better doctored up with confectioner’s sugar.

So I decided to give it another go and tried the “Pumpkin Spice Cake” recipe.



This, I believe, is my newest favorite recipe, especially with the orange cream cheese frosting.

But it’s equally delicious without, and healthier too.

A few "musts" I’ve learned/heard about high altitude baking…

Increase oven temperature by at leat 20 degrees to allow the batter to set-up more quickly.

Stay away from recipes calling for lots of sugar, and no baking with marshmallows...they explode!

Add additional flour, but how much is the million dollar question!

Reduce the amount of liquid.

And last but not least...

Keep your fingers crossed...and pray.

At the potluck this evening, I also learned a thing or two about how to improve on my pancakes...

Over the river and through the woods…

Well, we didn’t cross the river but we did go through the woods.

This is…literally…a ten minute drive from our house, just off of I-80 at the Summit Rest Area.



It is also the highest point on I-80, with an elevation of 8,640…about 1,475 feet higher than Laramie, which is 7,165 Ft.



We forced the teenager to join us.



As usual...he didn't want to go.


But his mom did her mom thing.

We hiked for a mere 45 minutes, but it was invigorating and breathtakingly beautiful.

There was still a lot of snow in some spots and not much in others.

Both the Legal Dude and I forgot to check our camera batteries before heading out.

Bummer…could have taken more photos of beautiful vistas.

Laramie has a lot of places like this all around and all within a 10 to 20 minute drive...and no traffic to deal with.

Except for a few hikers (and joggers!)... probably Coloradoans taking in the sights before heading back home after the football game...we had the place to ourselves.

The temp was in the high 40’s but with the shinning sun, it felt more like an early, chilly spring afternoon.

I can deal.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend…

Rosanne Cash and “The List”

It’s parent/teacher conference time, so the teenager was home yesterday and again today.

We hung at home yesterday…piddling around and taking a break from the normal school, errand and house routines.

I listen to WPR when I’m home…both the news and the morning music program.

We have the whole house intercom system so news and music follows me wherever I go…am.

The teenager (and his Legal Dude, dad) don’t like to have whole-house news and music when they’re home.

So…I turn down the volume on all the intercoms except for the room where I’m working, playing, etc.

This morning it’s bothering the teenager.

So I’ve pulled out my rusty old boom box and put this cd on the spinner.



I heard her interviewed on “Fresh Air” with Terri Gross several weeks back.

Thanks to my dad, I am a longstanding fan of…the “Man in Black.”

I grew up listening to that gravelly voice and it’s probably one of the reasons I love folk, bluegrass and (the old style) country music.

So, I was intrigued when I heard the story about “The List,” 100 essential country songs that her dad gave her to listen to…and told her to learn…when she was 18 and primarily a fan of rock music.

According to Rosanne Cash…”The list encompasses critical moments in the evolution of American music…Southern American music, folk and protest songs, Southern Blues and gospel and Appalachian music.”

You can read about it here at http://www.the9513.com/rosanne-cash-discusses-the-list/ and
So if you like the “Man in Black,” folk, bluegrass, country, blues and/or rock music…then this album is for you.

The Boss joins Rosanne on “Sea of Heartbreak, which you can hear here http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/30138422/rolling_stones_2009_fall_music_preview/8.

The likes of Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy can also be heard on the cd.

And if you listen hard enough…you can almost hear the “Man in Black” in the background.

Now I’m being kicked off MY laptop, by whom else...the teenager.

So I’m off to listen to more of “The List.”

Boom update…

Never did figure it out.

Couldn’t find anything on either WPR (or the UWYO’s) home page.

Just got an e-mail from another "new to the area" legal dude's wife and neighbor…she heard it too.

There’s construction on both her street and the street across from our house.

It probably had something to do with that.

At least I can sleep easy tonight...knowing the house isn’t going to fall down around us.

[Thought I had posted this last night, but I guess I forgot after my immediate previous post.]

Be safe out there...

So very very sad…

I’ve been listening all afternoon to the news about Ft Hood and the tragic shooting of our troops there.

My heart goes out to all the families of the victims of this senseless violence…and to all military families everywhere.

I just had to say that…now, I’m going to go hug my teenager.

Peace to everyone…

And now…Just one of the few things to dislike about small town Laramie

I’ve been waxing and waning lately about what’s to like about small town Laramie…

Well…time for a teeny bit of reversal on that note, but not much.

I just heard (and felt) a large boom in the house.

The house shook for just half a second.

I immediately went outside to make sure a car hadn’t rammed into the house.

Nope. No car sticking halfway into our house or garage.

I tentatively made my way downstairs…to check on the furnace and hot water heater.

Nada.

Several weeks ago a transformer blew in West Laramie and the law school went dark…in the middle of “Legal Dude’s*” class.

Dedicated Legal Dude that he is, class continued.

The transformer didn’t affect our part of town.

So I just text-ed the Legal Dude…nope, didn’t hear a thing.

Legal Dude told me to go outside, walk the perimeter and check the foundation.

Like, really. I wouldn’t notice if the house was sinking from the inside?!

Hey…he’s a Legal Dude.

Their minds work in strange and mysterious ways.

Legal Dude also told me to check for cracks in the furnace and hot water heater.

Like, duh. Already did that.

Anyway…can’t see anything amiss and I’d REALLY like to know what the boom was/is.

So…the reason for my post title is ‘cause here’s the deal…

I don’t know of anyway easy way to find out just what’s up, other than knocking on my neighbor’s doors, which I might just do.

Back home…I could turn on the news…or I’d get a county alert text on my phone and/or an e-mail message.

Or friends would call to check around.

Here...I have a hard enough time just finding the local news.

And mostly it’s from Cheyenne and/or Casper…miles and miles away.

It's one of the things I really miss about back home...instant news.

Just had a marvelous thought though…

Gonna go check the WPR website!

Be back later…

* Just tired of referring to him as "S".

Just another reason not to (dis)like small town Laramie...

Stepped into one of the cute little shops we have in small town Laramie.



I went looking for a “made in Wyoming” gift.

Found it in this small shop.

They sell kitchen items (woks, coffee pots, pizza stones, etc.), dishes and cute things for entertaining.

Plus they have a tiny coffee/tea shop upstairs, which I haven't sipped at yet.

And they have a kitchen in the back where they offer cooking classes.

There are many shops downtown that I have yet to visit.

Figure…I’d better save something exciting for the “really cold and long winter months.”

I hear that the really big snows come in March, April...May.