Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

My 4th trip to Craters of the Moon, and I'm thankful it was on earth and not in space. I like adventure and my parents made it a habit of always taking a summer vacation, for which I am very grateful. Craters of the Moon was on our list when I was about 8 years old......1958! It was a side trip on the way to Yellowstone Park (a beautiful National Park). Craters of the Moon was an eerie looking place to me back then and today it is still eerie looking! I certainly don't think I have the adaptation skills it takes to live even one day in this harsh environment. However, our visit was certainly educational....hot....and exhausting for "the girls" the "Dad" was loving it and hated that we had to leave to come back to "the girls" idea of what makes life worth living! I took lots of pictures, so just zoom through them. Then if you feel the need.....make the trek to visit Craters of the Moon yourself someday...........but for Hell sakes...don't wear FLIP-FLOPS! ~Sorry just want you to be prepared~Visitors Center.....Ali read the signs that said SNAKES live here. Not a good idea for girls that hate snakes....that's the 2 of us for sure.

View from the visitors center overlooking the valley


Pretty much sage brush, rocks, and dirt! Lucky for us we saw no snakes!

This is stop #3 on the Loop Drive - Devil's Orchard

This was an amazing shot I got of Ali on top of Inferno Cone.

Ali thought this tree was a little to close to the edge, but after venturing over she could see that the mountain of fine lave continues on and on and on!

A spectacular view from the top of Inferno Cone. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top. There were lots of ladies older than I am making it (as in hiking) so................I gave it my best effort~.....lol!

When you first arrive in the parking area of Inferno Cone it looks like there is one tall mountain to climb....not so! When /IF you get to the top of it there is another one right there in front of you. Here Ali is standing on the top of the second peak.... on our way back down!

The next stop is Spatter Cones. This is the trail going up to the cones. It was an easy hike and only took a few minutes to reach the incredible formations.

This is looking down into the cone. It doesn't look all that deep from my picture, but it is!

This is another view into the Spatter Cone

So many volcanic features are up close as you hike each of the trails.

The trail winds through lava flow and what a spectacular view you get from the top of

Spatter Cones.

My dad loves rocks, I took this picture for him. We still have many pieces of volcanic rock in our collections that we have made for many school science projects.

More formations........just to show you I really did hike the trails.

Yes....that is snow in the bottom of the cone. It was dark, deep, and surprising to see snow on a 100 degree August day.

I loved the look of this formation. I thought it kinda looks like an elephant......petrified.

Broken Top......what a name for a volcano formation!

Inside Buffalo caves.....I have no idea who these tourist are, but they were nice to allow their picture to be taken. Ali was getting a little tired of having me snap the camera.

The Caves Trail................total desolation! Give me the city life.....girl! I call the bug man when we have ants and earwigs! Get my point??

From the car window....The Caves Trail formations

Ali was so sick and tired of me taking pictures and her dad yelling at her, because.....she wore flip flops! She wonders why he wears hiking boots...........everywhere.............always!

I begged for a smile....these formations are HOT....well not anymore, but I bet they were 2000 years ago.

More of the same "Old" stuff. The trail winds around seas of lava which leads you to an underground world of a lava tube. For this you need sturdy shoes ...............not flip flops "Girl".

Entrance to "Dew Drop Cave"

Inside Dew Drop Cave...bring your flash light and DON'T WEAR FLIP FLOPS

Indian Tunnel....where are the pretroglyphs?

Boy Scout Cave Entrance

The Boy Scout cave contains ice all year round, the floor is covered by ice and often water too. As snow melts on a warm spring day, the runoff seeps through the cracks and the crevices of the lava and drips into the tube below. Once inside the cold air within the caverns causes the water to freeze again. On this warm summer day the "100" degree temperature cause some of the ice to melt.............along with the tourists!

Beauty Cave....

The walls of Beauty Cave are completely in the dark once you are away from the entrance of the lava tube.

The brochure from the visitors center said there are more than 660 types of plants living in this barren landscape. I think this cute little flower is a mini carnation.....probably I made that name up because I have no idea what it is really called.

There are fields and fields of them growing. So if you know their name....go ahead and leave me a comment. I'd be ever so thankful for the education lesson. For now I'll just call them mini-carnations in a dangnation of hard dirt!

Back to civilization as we leave this weird but scenic world of the craters behind us......

Wordless Wednesday - Movie Location

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing

Apparently there is a story behind the "Red Velvet Cake.....According to legend red velvet cake was invented in the 1950s at Oscar's in New York's Waldorf-Astoria. However, Raven Dennis of Cake Man Raven Confectionery (whose recipe we adapted) claims red velvet cake originated during the Civil War, and that southern ladies made it "to keep their husbands home."

I found a recipe for this delightful dessert in my recipe file box from High School. I even wrote the recipe in red ink! We had so much fun putting it together. The frosting is worth every one of the calories......I don't even want to know how many there are!

I'm posting the recipe mostly for my own benefit. My blog is a quick recipe book for me. Here we go:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

CAKE: 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 T cocoa unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup butter milk

2 T liquid red food coloring

1 t white distilled vinegar

1 t baking soda

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, making sure everything is well blended. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add red food coloring to the cup of buttermilk and whisk until blended.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and level the tops. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow cakes to completely cool. Once their are completely cool, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This is done to make frosting the cakes easier.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Beat together the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioner's sugar and blend until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar enough to sweeten to your taste. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages.

Place one of the cake layers on your platter and cover with frosting. Place the top cake layer and continue frosting the top and sides of the cake.

Makes one - 9 inch double layer cake

Sunday Grounds Crew

Ogden Raptors Jerry Sands and Brian Cavazos-Galvez take a few minutes to clean-up the outfield after Jerry took a huge divet of turf with him as he dove for a ball.

If you have never been to a minor league baseball game, I think you are missing something great. We are in our 13th season as a host family for the Ogden Raptors. Anyone who really follows baseball knows it is a very long way to the top and at the 'Rookie' level finding affordable housing can be a challenge itself. Being a host family gives us an opportunity to make life a bit easier for players who are working so hard every day to someday make the big league roster.

Brian is living with us this season and what a delight it has been. We may be a little biased, but we think he is by far the MVP of the team. Of course other host families will have an argument with that, but Brian is "Tops" with us!

If there is a minor league team anywhere close to your home ---- get to the ball park it may change your life.

Cajun Black Bean Burger

Why oh why can't I simply blog.....? I think about it, I even read other blogs....but I haven't been able to put my thoughts together to post like I really would like to. Food is easy enough for me to blog about. I'm in the kitchen for hours at a time and today we (me...being we) put together a new vegetarian burger. Ali tried it, and said it passed ...but she hates corn, unless of course it is fresh from the farmer and still on the cob!

We had plenty of new cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden today. DIL's mom had zucchini so we had a nice garden fresh dinner tonight!

Joke of the day in Utah: "If you see someone buying zucchini in the store....they don't have any relatives or friends!" Thank goodness I have both.

Here's the new recipe:

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 orange, red, or yellow pepper finely chopped. Today I had an orange one

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp Cajun spice blend

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute onion, pepper, carrot, and corn in olive oil until done. About 5 -7 mins.

Combine sauteed vegetables with black beans and mash. I used my small food processor hoping the corn would be disguised but no luck with that! Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Use your hands to blend it all together. It needs to hold it's shape when you put it on the grill.

Shape into patties (I got 8 out of this batch). Refrigerate for several hours.

Place on a greased foil lined hot grill until browned on outside, both top and bottom. By cooking them on foil you can get a seared crust so they don't fall through the grill. Cook for about 3 mins. on each side. Then put them straight on the grill, brushing the patties with a little olive oil so they don't stick to the grill. Top with your favorite condiments. I think this is a keeper!

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July

Choke on This!

My artichoke patch is looking rather marvelous....to me anyway! I planted these seedlings last summer and was very disappointed that nothing happened....but a big patch of green leaves. Now the patch looks absolutely beautiful, especially in the early morning hours when the sunlight hits the leaves and they shimmer with silvery dew on each stem. I'm so excited!
Now the flowering plant is maturing into a nice globe artichoke. They are one of Ali's favorite vegetables. I did some research and found that they are actually one of the world's oldest medicinal plants. The ancient Egyptians placed great value on the plant and in Europe, the artichoke was favored as a food by royalty. The globe artichoke has a long history as a diuretic, an aid to digestion, and a good way to lower blood sugar.

I don't believe Utah is their favorite place to grow, but the experience has been fun and spine tingling.....! The spike little things, probably related to thistles! However, they add very unique foliage to the garden and take up lots of space where weeds would want to be growing. I sure hope after we pick this "One" and only "One" artichoke it will be as tasty as it looks. If not, we'll just enjoy the 3 or 4 feet of beautiful green foliage.

Hip Hip Hooray....It's almost retirement day!

Thank you for all the thoughtful gifts.
Now I present to you all my top 10 reasons
for saying farewell after 30 years of teaching:

10) Parent's Night for me has become a reunion of former students. It's a trip down memory lane, a nostalgic schmooze fest. I'm retiring before it gets out of hand and I teach a grand child. My former students are now my bank teller, car mechanic, genealogist, grocery story clerk,...I hope I was kind to all of my students especially to the physician who may be taking care of me some day.

9) The students are asking me if the picture on the hall of fame wall is really me…..Wow you look different now Mrs. Thompson.

8) I can now take red pens off my Wal-mart Shopping list, I won’t have to worry about AR Points, Scholastic Book orders, Field Trip Money, and wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day.

7) My drug store reading glasses aren’t strong enough to check student papers. And dear Mr. Cook is gone….so taking Monday afternoon for an eye appointment won’t be necessary any more.

6) I’ve tried really hard to remember all my student’s names…..but I still have students who tell me Mrs. Thompson….I’m Ali not Carlie, my sister, who is now in high school. I don’t really even look like her do I?

5) It's time to pass the baton to a much younger teacher. My ideas have come and gone….the Internet has taken over with anything and everything you ever need!

4) My daughter is always in need of an expert with her job…..I seem to fit that bill well and will have lots of time to be of assistance to her now.

3) The plan to visit the best new cabin in Utah….my son and daughter-in-love are in the finally stages of finishing this beautiful cabin (Bigger than my home)! Being able to go in spring, summer and fall whenever the moment hits me will change my life forever. Can you imagine how relaxing that is going to be?

2) The number 2 reason to retire is that early incentive package is probably on it’s way out with the economy…….I need the money now!

1) The number one reason why it's time to retire is that about everyone I see in the community asks me, “Are you still teaching?” “How long have you been at West Clinton?” The answer is I’ve been there since the day it opened….I’ll still visit but only on my schedule now!

Education will never be far from my heart and if you ask my family I’m sure they will tell you “She’ll always be a teacher and she’ll always have the correct answer!”

Thanks to all of you for the well wishes, each of you have been an instrumental part of a wonderful career.

Hill Air Force Base 2009

The Simple Table

I'm so excited about the kids cooking show....this is Episode #6. They have really come a long way in just a few days. Jason and the kids are passionate about cooking and that make this mom and grandmother very happy and proud. Take a minute to watch the show and leave them your comments. Their rookies with lots of potential and plenty of enthusiasm.

Stop by their website....or better yet ask yourself to dinner at their house!

http://thesimpletable.com/

Fire

We so hope the pictures can all be cleaned.

A lone fish survived the fire and now has a new home with a new group of friends!

See those webs in the top picture.....I totally came unglued and thought the house was full of spiders! Not so said the Certified Disaster Guy....those are fire webs! They are all over the house!

I wasn't going to post anything about the fire, because Ali has already had several melt downs over this! Tears, tears, and more tears. We will forever be grateful that she was able to get out of the home and the damage was controlled, because the two of us put the fire out and then called the fire department! Not a smart thing to do, but when adrenalin kicks in you sometimes do things you probably shouldn't! SMOKE FILLED HOME IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE!

Hopefully the cleanup will begin soon. Adjusters, Disaster Clean-up and Insurance people will be here today and tomorrow to tell us what will happen next.

Wordless Wednesday....Oh No Speechless

Eggs in Ham Cups

What a slacker.....I know it is not Tasty Tuesday, but I can't seem to get myself together! You'll love this quick and easy dish, with your own added variations.

Eggs in a Ham Cup

Ingredients:

Ham slices....about 1/16 inch-thick (You decide how thick you like your slices)

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Mozzarella cubes

Pesto

Butter or spray compartments of a metal muffin tin. Fold each ham slice into quarters, insert the point end in a buttered muffin cup, and let it open....it will have a ruffled look.

Place an egg inside each ham cup. My grand kids have made a video of this, and Brevin wanted to help put the eggs in the cups....if you crack it into another container first, (small paper cup) and then pour them into the ham cup it works really well.

Tuck 2 mozzarella cubes, tomato, and a 1/4 teaspoon pesto on the side of the egg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (Remember that the ham and pesto both lend saltiness to the dish.)

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the egg white looks set but the yolk is still a bit runny. Remove the ham cups from the muffin tin and serve them up! They are yummy!

The crecent roll you see in the picture is heavenly..... I'll post that recipe soon!

The Art of Dry Rub

Okay if you listen and watched the entire cooking episode....you know that the Thompson Team is looking for a name for their cooking show! If you submit a name and any or all of your name is choosen you could win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Williams and Sonoma.....Give it your best and leave them a suggestion here or on their You Tube Video!

I'm down to 6 more Mondays before I am an unemployeed woman! OH THE JOY!

Happy Mother's Day 2009

She was there at the beginning

When the world was new to you

She was there to turn to happy times

Those when, you were hurt or blue.

She was there to listen to your thoughts

And when you asked, to give advice

She was there to tell you,

"Those don't match!" Or, "Hon, you sure look nice."

She was there with you at nighttime

To help you say your prayers

She was there to tell you, "It's alright."

When you had a dream that scares.

She was there at morning time

To get you up and out of bed

She was there when you didn't feel good (or did)

To say, "You'd best stay home, instead."

She was there when you were hungry

And when you had those dirty clothes

She was there when you needed her

(How she knew? Only heaven knows.)

She was there at the beginning

And she'll be there your whole life through

She'll be there in your mind and heart

Just like a mother is supposed to do.

Cabin - Progress

Julie made it to the cabin today and doesn't it look inviting?

The little cabin in the woods withstood the cold snowy winter. Beautiful, tranquil, and spiritual heaven await the many days and nights that will be spent at this lovely abode.

The canyon often brings memories of the poem of Hiawatha.......

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water,

Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,

Rose the firs with cones upon them;

Bright before it beat the water,

Beat the clear and sunny water,

Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.

At the door on summer evenings

Sat the little Hiawatha;

Heard the whispering of the pine-trees,

Heard the lapping of the waters,

Sounds of music, words of wonder;

'Minne-wawa!" said the Pine-trees,

Mudway-aushka!" said the water.

Oh I love the canyon! Can't wait to enjoy it!

Fish Tacos

You know my proclivity of making salmon...of course you do...it is almost a weekly event. Last week we had plenty left over to make into our new favorite taco..."Fish/Salmon Tacos" Seriously, I'm thinking pretty passionate thoughts about this dish. It was simple to prepare and it got rave reviews from.....me and a few others. So today you get the recipe plain, simple, and delicious.

Cilantro Sauce

equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise (I used 1 cup of each)

handful of chopped fresh cilantro (growing nicely in my backyard)

generous sprinkle of Taco Seasoning Mix.....use what your taste buds like

Fish:

I used left over grilled Salmon(1 lb)....you can use your favorite fish. The nice thing about left overs is the cooking time. If you are using raw fish your cooking time will be about 4 - 5 minutes for fish cut into 1" pieces. You will also need to add olive oil if you are using raw fish...mine is marinated in my wonderful butter sauce....no extra oil needed! I squeezed fresh lemon over the fish and then sprinkled Taco Seasoning Mix to taste. This was heated thoroughly and the taco is ready to assemble.

Fill warmed taco shells with fish mixture and your favorite toppings.

Top your tacos with your choice of cabbage (I used broccoli slaw already chopped), green onions, tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro sauce. Fresh lime on the side for squeezing.

Dessert Hopping

I have so much to catch up on here.........and yes I'm going back on track Tuesday! So what the heck have I been doing for 4 weeks? Glad you asked! Hope I can remember it all! I'll do the posting not in the correct order I'm sure, but as I have the time and the will power I'm going to cover the bases! "Yeah...baseball season is here...well not Rookie league"....back to dessert hopping!

Last week we decided a Friday night out was desperately needed after all the happenings in Davis School District! So off to SLC we go! Our first stop was the Beehive Tea Room. To our delight we "CONSUMED" sugar cookies, biscotte, and hot chocolate! Then thought about having dinner! Good rule of thumb......dessert is always best!

Market Street Broiler.......dinner salads, clam chowder, fish and chips and salmon. My dinner came with Haagen Daz Strawberry Ice Cream! The hostess told us we would all get fresh strawberries, come to find out you had to be a secretary to get that little bonus! We told the waitress I was every one's secretary ....guess she thought we just wanted the berries! In the end we all shared this dish of ice cream.

Our next dessert hopping took us to THE GRAND AMERICA.....just such a nice place to sit and chat! Little did we know the LA Lakers were staying at this 5 star hotel and several of them walked through the lobby! I was in heaven (not heat!) Phil Jackson sauntered through the lobby....to which I quickly called his name! Nina asked who he was...Lyn said "Must be one of Al's friends she called him Phil" I had a very brief conversation with him about the Jazz win the night before and how Utah fans are not very amicable to Laker Fans....my daughter being one! He acknowledge the fact and strolled on to his destination...who knows where that was! We had a good laugh and continued to watch Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Paul Gasol...make their way through the lobby! Just a little clarification....I watched...Nina had her back to the lobby and Lyn just thinks they are "Tall" guys!

Honestly we were "Not" there as groupies....we are a little old for that! Come on now! Back in the day.............we coulda, woulda, and probably shoulda!

The grounds are absolutely beautiful at Grand America. SLC is a great place to live....if you're not a Laker Fan!

Flowers adorn the Grand America...kinda "doll" the place up!

These are 2 beautiful dream girls!

I'm the crazy, impetuous, off the deep end part of the group!

We really just wanted to chat and have Bread Pudding. Which topped off our evening! The pudding was undercooked but once again enjoying food with friends is what brings pleasure to our lives. Thanks girlfriends for putting up with my moments! You are amazing friends!

Someday soon Lyn and I will try to duplicate

Grand America's Bread Pudding....we will just cook ours a little more.

Lip Smacking Lasagna

My dad always gave a few words of gratitude for the meal we were about to receive each night; he would thank my mom who prepared the food for us, and he always expressed gratitude for their jobs that paid for it, and sometimes he added a little practical advice for the family to think about. One of the best lessons I learned from my family is that family meals make kids smarter (voila...I know "French"...not Italian!); spending quality time together over dinner can also contribute to children's emotional and spiritual growth. After all, it's when you're all together sharing the details of your day that real bonding happens. And kids who feel close to their families are more likely to take the family's value system to heart. So today I prepare for you another of our favorite lasagna recipes. The aroma from the kitchen full of Italian spices and slowly simmered sauce will tease your appetite all day long so that by dinnertime your whole family will be famished.

Lip Smacking Lasagna
La Dolce Vita LeAnn

Ingredients:

Meat Sauce

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground been
½ cup minced red onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
12 oz can tomato paste
26 oz bottle Ragu with mushroom
2 T white sugar
1 t dried basil
1 t Italian season
½ t fennel seeds
½ t ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Ricotta Cheese Layer

32 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
½ t salt

Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese

Lasagna Noodles

DIRECTIONS:

Meat Sauce:

In a pot large enough to hold your meat sauce, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and Ragu sauce. Season with sugar, basil fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, ground pepper and about 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley. Simmer, covered, for about and hour….stir often!

Ricotta:

Combine ricotta cheese with eggs and 2 tablespoons parsley

Lasagna Noodles:

I put my noodles in 2 large roasting pans filled with very hot water and let them soak for about 30 – 45 minutes. They remain flat and are not all broken apart like when I boil them. They were very easy to work with.


Assemble:

I divided this between 2 baking dishes (9 ½ x 8 x 3 inch)…..fit perfectly.
Spread generous layer of meat sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce (trim to fit pan). Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Spoon meat sauce over Mozzarella, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers and topping off with Mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil. To prevent sticking I spray the foil with cooking spray.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. I bake mine on a baking sheet just to catch any drips.

Now I have 2 meals ready to go....one fresh today, another for the freezer ready for a hurried day!

**Don’t even ask about the calories!