Saturday March 14th Spring Training

University of Phoenix Stadium...

Home of the Phoenix Cardinals

Took this as we lifted off earlier this morning....not the best picture but you get the idea of how humongous this place is!

Donya, Le, & Al by the Bird!

The stadium grass is keep outside 350 days a year! Rolled inside for game day!

I have so many pictures from inside the stadium, but didn't want to bore you with how much fun we are having.....so much to see and do!

Maryvale - Home of the Milwaukee Brewers ~

This is the place I have spent so many spring training days.

Billy on 3rd

JJ at Short -All we got to do was tell him we were at the game ~

he's a busy boy!

The Fans

Our favorite Manager - Sedar!

So glad we got to say hello and walk down to the dugout!

We had reservations ~~~ thank goodness the wait was 1 hour and 30 minutes...we waited 15! Oh I'm so glad I made on line reservations!

Volcano Nachos
Topped with chili, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapeños, tomato and scallions!

Yes we scooped up every chip!

Happy Reunion

So Cute! Al, Matt and Moi'

Another Great Day!

Spring Training 2009 ~ Friday March 13th ~

This is the beautiful new facilities where the Dodger's are at Spring Training. I showed you the pictures I took from the air on my last post. It was so exciting to be there in the 80 degree sun! And of course you saw the pictures of Manny at bat! There will be lots of memories from this trip.

Friday night we had dinner at "The Yard House" in the Westgate Mall...it is amazing and how lucky I was to spend some time there!...you know the guy thing about not going to a Mall!~ Jessie, Cole and his mom joined us for dinner...maybe we joined them! It was so good to see Cole again....boot cast and all!

This is the place we called down time! We didn't get much of it! The room was very nice - hot tub, pool, and breakfast every morning.

Spring Training

Words soon......so much fun......to busy to talk!

Wordless Wednesday

Since I was a small child – a long time ago – I have been friends with Lyn. 7 weeks ago she started teaching at the same school I do and also moved in with us until the end of the school year. She is an amazing cook and spends more time in the kitchen than I could ever imagine. She also has an scrumptious rice pudding recipe that I'm sharing with all of you today. It takes a great deal of work so plan on at least 2 hours in the kitchen. She uses a variety of short-grain rice called pudding rice/ Extra Fancy Calrose; this is the type used the world over in sweet dishes and is best of all, in my opinion, for good Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding. It is very sticky when cooked and, simmered in milk, becomes deliciously soft and creamy.

I was home sick yesterday, thus a nice warm batch was made, and I'm enjoying it this morning for breakfast....still a little under the weather! "What does under the weather" mean anyway....shouldn't it be "Under the Covers"!

Good luck making the rice, I promise you will love every bite after your hours of work!

4 cups water - boiled

1 tsp. salt

2 cups extra fancy calrose rice

Boil 7 minutes or till water is gone

Now add:

1 gallon of milk

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

Boil till quite thick - about 2 hours on a very low heat - stir almost constantly - you don't want it to scorch! ~ Very tedious part of the process!

Beat together 12 eggs with 4 tsp. vanilla. When the rice mixture is quite thick add some of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture. Then pour this mixture gradually into the rest of the rice mixture, stirring well. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar...Add whipped cream if you need a few more calories!

PS.....because I don't have a huge pan in my kitchen wares...we made 1/2 a batch! Lyn can't believe I don't have yet have a 10 quart pan for making this delicious recipe!

Off to Wendover - Air Supply and MORE. Yes Frankie Moreno!

Even the Night's are Better when you are at the Peppermill Concert Hall!

Simply put.....Air Supply put on a fantastic show and how about "Lost in LUCK!" Graham Russell tossed his guitar pick into the crowd and DH quickly retrieved it and now it is mine! This was our second Air Supply concert and I'll cherish it just as much as I did the first one back in the 80's.


The show started with Graham’s poem (which was a little loud and OLD People like us....couldn't make out....(no not MAKE-OUT as in)....the words! Then Graham and Russell walked onstage and started singing Sweet Dreams, Young Love and several more. Of course the house was rocking with everyone cheering and clapping.





When they started to sing The One That You Love, Russell came into the audience and shook hands with a huge crowd of women...then Graham came right by our seats... playing his guitar, I quickly pulled out the camera and snapped a picture...I know you're not suppose to have cameras...but everyone has a Camera Cell Phone right! Here he is right directly in front of our row!

Now for the OMG part of the concert....and oh to be 21 again! Enter Frankie Moreno.... one incredibly talented musician....and a hunka hunka hunka! Needless to say I was wowed...okay very impressed! Take a look for yourself....very nice~!!!!!

The morning after we enjoyed breakfast on the terrace (enclosed terrace....it's still cold in February in Wendover!). Mary Ann, Joey, and Al

On the way home we stopped off to check out the Bonneville Salt Flats. A nice couple from Boise took our picture.....

So lift your eyes if you feel you can,

Reach for a star and I’ll show you a plan

I figured it out

What I needed was someone to show me!

Reflections from the Great Salt Lake

I seriously had a great time and now I'm Lost in Love all over again! Thanks Al for treating me to such a great time this weekend. You're Awesome! And a big "Thank You" to Adrian and MariAnn...without you I probably would have never stepped foot into the concert hall~! See you soon in Wendover!

PS. I know I've been missing in action for way to long from this blog spot...I have lots to catch up on so I'll do my best to Get Busy!

"...It's Little. It's Lovely. It Lights!"

There was nothing else like it and Sandra Dee had one, so you can imagine my excitement when I actually got my very own ...... Pink Princess Phone. That phone was everything....it was freedom...(well not exactly because we did have a party line that we shared with one of the neighbors)....but I could talk all alone in my bedroom to anyone who would answer on the other end. And remember how it had a dial that was illuminated when the handset was lifted. Oh that was the best night light there could ever be!

Replicas are available today.............so I'm wondering if I can live one more day without one!

When Will Winter Wane ~ Wordless Wednesday

Baked Strawberry French Toast

This weekend Lyn's sweetie joined our family for fun, laughs, and lots of food. His compliments were so welcomed.....what an awesome guy he is.

Where did today's inspiration come from?

While staying at Hayhurst B&B, cute Louise always comes up with the perfect breakfast for our group. This year we were treated to delicious Baked Strawberry French Toast.... Jim (Louise's hubby) hates it when we have dessert for breakfast, but if you are looking for a nice breakfast or brunch dish for a special occasion this French toast casserole fits the bill, because all of the work can be done a day in advance and it is incredibly delicious.

Ingredients:

16 oz loaf of French bread, cubed into bite size pieces

8 oz package of cream cheese, cubed into small pieces
6 large eggs
1 quart Half & Half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

Topping:
16 oz container of frozen, sliced strawberries - I use fresh strawberries when I have them
10 oz strawberry jam

Directions:
Arrange half of cubed bread in a lightly greased, deep 9 x 13 pan.
Sprinkle with cubed cream cheese, and cover with remaining bread cubes.
Whisk together eggs, Half & Half, butter, and maple syrup.
Pour evenly over the bread cubes, making sure they all absorb the egg mixture.
Cover with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours. (I suggest preparing the recipe the night before, and refrigerating it overnight).
Bake covered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

While French toast is baking, combine and heat topping ingredients in a saucepan.

Cut French toast into 8–10 servings. Plate each serving, then ladle heated topping onto each serving.

Buon Appetito

I Am A Typist....always have been, always will be!

Again I’m waltzing down nostalgia lane, because it is Sentimental Sunday here at La Dolce Vita. I’ll tell you right up front that today ….I love my HP Computer Keyboard…..but as a young child I was totally in love with my Smith-Corona.

I loved the thing that went ding at the end. I liked the clacking of the keys, the old-fashioned printer’s-ink smell of the ribbon, and yes, the ding at the end, which meant I got to crank the handle to throw the carriage back for the next line to be typed.

My first typewriter was a Smith-Corona portable the manual one! In 1955 SMITH-CORONA made an electric office typewriter with features far ahead of competitors and I had one! In 1955….yes I was 5 years old and could already type, you see my dad was a business teacher and my mom was by far the best typist around. Thus…”vaul au” I could type at an amazing speed well over 100 WPM with no mistakes, not at age 5, but by the time I was in junior high. My speed has diminished to about 85 – 90 WPM but I still love the sound and feel of the key when my fingers brush across them, even on my fan-dangle HP keyboard. But boy do I miss that typewriter when I need to type just one envelope.

I Love to type - http://ladolcevitaleann.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-fast-can-you-type.html