The Good Life: July 2009

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Life in Pictures 7/24/09

The Poff Girls gather for a concert by Little Big Man.

Peep's new seat (a baby gift from my very dear friend, Mrs. R.) provides the cushy comfort she needs. Aren't the feet simply sweet?

Scribe enjoys keeping lunch interesting for the Littles. He even adds his own touch to pb sandwiches.

Little Bit reaches high for the treat on the counter.

Ahh, yes, her favorite....poppy seed muffin batter. She's hoping her siblings aren't awake, yet.

It's hard work, but someone has to eat this.

Yes, it's just as yummy as she expected!

Little Bit tries to convince Peep that milk alone is overrated.

She succeeds. Peep decides she'll skip the baby food and go straight to whole food. (yes, you know Peep is not a first-born. A first born doesn't get pacifiers that haven't been boiled and doesn't get anywhere near stuff like this unless the book on babies says it's ok. :))

Peep loves to hear Little Big Man play. It soothes her and always makes her smile.

God's beauty is all around us, and Boo loves finding the lizards in His creation. Look at the delight on her face. And it's just a lizard.

Whistler loves butterflies. Here's one she rescued after a big, manly Poff Clan foot (person to remain anonymous) accidently stepped on it. Now she has big plans to buy a butterfly net.

The generosity of siblings. They don't offer Peep just one teething ring....why not give her ALL of them!

And, amazingly, she'll found the one she wanted. Yellow, of course. It seems to go best with the name "Peep."

My brother is kinda cute, isn't he?

Peep loves this seat. Now listening to Whistler read is even more fun!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A "Grande" Day in the Valles Caldera

Mountain Man here ... I had the privilege of acting as tour guide for a group of student interns and visiting scientists on a day long field trip to the Valles Caldera, located in the Jemez Mtns. (above Los Alamos). Personally, this has got to be one of my favorite places in the entire state of New Mexico! Why? Just check out the photos and see for yourself ...

On the west side of Redondo Peak, looking down one of the many canyons leading away from the Caldera. Oh yea, guess I should explain that this place is the site of the largest volcanic explosion in North American history, which is responsible for the incredible geologic features.

Still on the west side of Redondo Peak ...

Looking east across the main caldera, there were something close to 300 elk grazing out there when we showed up at 07:30 in the morning. Quite a sight!

Haven't had the good fortune to draw for an elk hunt yet, but I'm hoping to take one with my very own smoke pole sometime in the not too distant future ... what's a smoke pole? Why that would be my .54 cal Lehman (nicknamed Princess, after my better half), trade gun (a muzzleloader for all you greenhorns) ... just like the mountain men of old of course.

Note to self ... always make sure that the door on the outhouse faces away from the main house ... just common sense (not to mention privacy).

Yep that would be me in my "modern outdoor gear" ... I actually prefer my moccassins and buckskins to this outfit, but I didn't want to scare the guests! This place is referred to as "The Missing" cabin.

Can you say "trout"? This little creek ... goes by the name of the West Fork of the Jemez River ... is just loaded with beautiful trout. Gotta remember to bring the fly rod next time ...

Another shot of "The Missing" cabin ... it was featured in a movie called ... you guessed it ... The Missing! Never saw it myself, but might have to look it up now just so I can say, "Hey, I've been there" and astonish everyone present with my incredible knowledge of such things. Overall, not a bad way to spend a workday, you think?

Keep Yer Powder Dry,

Mountain Man

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Belated Birthday Wishes

While we were away, our dear Little Big Man and Boo turned 12 and 4! We celebrated a bit differently since we were on the road, and this Queen Mom feels compelled to give them another birthday celebration. However, the one priceless gift that they both received was being able to eat cake with their family in Virginia. :)

12 things we LOVE about Little Big Man

~He makes us laugh.

~He loves reading the Bible.

~He plays the guitar beautifully.

~He's a great back-scratcher!:)

~He's patient with the Littles, and enjoys reading to them.

~He's a voracious reader who loves to discuss what he's reading.

~He's sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

~He's tenderhearted.

~He's loves learning about the Civil War.

~We love his reddish hair!

~He's showing more independence and initiative with his lessons.

~He's has a teachable spirit.

10 things we LOVE about Boo (because you have to list at least 10!)

~She smiles a lot.

~She loves to pray.

~She trusts God to answer her prayers.

~She loves holding Peep.

~She loves babies.

~She plays well with Little Bit.

~She is an encourager.

~She loves to learn new things.

~She loves books.

~She delights in helping Mommy in the kitchen.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Yum! Yum! Drum! Drum!

Pardon my caveman lingo...I just couldn't resist. This is a simple and yummy recipe I tried last week after finding it on seriouseats.com. We all enjoyed it, and Mountain Man confirms that it tastes great cold, too. Perhaps it will make it into our picnic basket one day.

Eager to make this and not able to get to the store, I just used the ingredients I had at home. Thus, I used Real Lemon juice and dried thyme instead of the fresh ingredients. (Heeding my sister's advice, I didn't used as much dried thyme as I would have fresh...) It still tasted great, and I didn't have to put the chicken in the broiler nor did I simmer the juices and pour them over the chicken. So, enjoy, and don't forget the napkins.:)

Lemon Herb-Roasted Chicken Drumsticks

~12 chicken drumsticks (3 lbs. total)

~finely grated zest and juice of two lemons

~2 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves

~2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

~coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

~Rinse drumsticks well, removing any excess fat, and patting to dry

~Combine lemon zest and juice, thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add drumsticks and toss to coat. Cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees

~Arrange drumsticks in large shallow roasting pan (use two if necessary to avoid crowding), and pour the marinade over the chicken and bake, basting occasionally, until the drumsticks are cooked through and golden brown, about 1-1/4 hours.

~If the chicken has not browned enough, place it under broiler, 4 inches from heat source, and broil until browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes, watching carefully.

~Transfer drumsticks to serving dish, or let them cool and then transfer to a picnic container. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and boil until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the juices over the chicken and let rest for 10-15 minutes until the flavors develop. Serve immediately, or remove from the pan juices and pack them into your picnic basket.