What Has Happened?

I have blogged twice before about our trips to Idaho and how quirky the little town of Blackfoot is. I snapped a picture of this waitress statue last year and thought she was pretty cute, really tall and a fun throwback to the good old days. Imagine our surprise when we rolled through a couple of weeks ago to see her still standing there, but somehow she looks a little different.

Oh yea, she is no longer carrying her platter of food.

Chow..I mean Ciao Baby

Wayne and I belong to a little gourmet cooking group with some friends. (Six Couples) The idea is to pick a theme for the food each month and then make foods for a dinner that reflect that theme. We are to try new things that we may not always try and use recipes that we may not ordinarily use...thus the gourmet designation. July's theme was Italian and was hosted by Paul and Susan. Warning: Don't read this in the middle of the morning or in the early afternoon because you will begin to drool. Come back and read after you have eaten dinner. We only had four couples in July because two couples couldn't make it , so this is for them to read and wish that they had been there. It was a truly delicious meal and I am excited for the next one. I have to say that there are at least 5 gourmet cooks in the group. (I am not one of them) but Wayne "IS" and so are Lori, Paul, Rick and Laura. The others may be also, but I will have to continue to go to the dinners until I find out for sure. I am the sous chef at my house and I like it just fine that way.

Paul and Susan

Joan and Wayne

Laura and Rick

Doug and Julie

Here is the Pesto Pasta that Paul made. It contained pine nuts, raisins, tomatoes, basil, garlic, Italian seasonings and cheese among other things. I had never had raisins in a pasta meal before and it was really good. They gave just a hint of sweetness that complimented the pungent flavor of the pine nuts and pesto.

Delicious Paul!!

Grilled zucchini and green beans with garlic, lemon juice, asiago cheese, spices and then wrapped with prosciutto and chives. Pretty huh? Good job Wayne (and Joan)

Wonderful Italian green salad with all the
yummy veggies and olives. Thank you Doug and Julie.

Paul made the appetizers----- this Brochette was made with fresh basil, garlic and tomatoes
but the ingredients were atop Susan's homemade bread. Mmmmmmm

Garlic/cheese bread made from Susan's bread again

Paul also produced these dried apricots stuffed with goat cheese. Now I have to say there are very few foods I don't like, but goat cheese is one of them. My Grandma used to try to pass off goat's milk for dinner at her home. She wouldn't tell me it wasn't cow's milk but I could always tell. There are some goat cheeses that I can handle, so I did give them a try. Not bad Paul, however, I will stick to the old moo machine for most all of my dairy delights.

Last but certainly not least was dessert prepared by Rick. He makes the best creme brulee' in the world. There is not a picture of it. Why? That is because I took pictures at the beginning of the meal and when dessert came around we just woofed it down before I could even get a shot.

Believe me, you would really have drooled at this conclusion. What a great group of friends and what a great meal.

I found out we will be missing the next one this week. We are headed to Denver for a wedding reception. Someone take pictures and rub in our faces this month will you?

Wizard of Oz

We went to an ice cream social a couple of weeks ago that was a fund raiser for the Alpine Community theatre. Kohler's and Cabella's donated the ice cream and toppings and you could get all the ice cream you wanted for $1. It was a cheap and wholesome activity for the grand kids and included some fun entertainment. They had a really good band and the kids sang and danced for an hour before the the performers from the production "The Wizard of Oz" offered a little presentation of what the play would be like. I bought tickets thinking, "Oh well, if we can't go, it's a good donation for a good cause". I got the tickets for $8 each ( at the senior discount priceeven) which costs about same as a regular show ticket. I mean a movie ticket. See, I deserve the senior discount because I still call it the show. We ended up going and were pleasantly surprised. The singers and actors were really pretty amazing. The dialogue was almost exactly like that of the movie so the play lasted 3 hours with an intermission. It was long but it was a fun performance. The costumes and sets were well done as was the lighting and choreography. The scarecrow was unbelievably good and did just as well as in the movie.

As most of you know, "The Wizard of Oz" is my favorite movie, contains my favorite music and when I die, I want "Over the Rainbow" sung at my funeral. I am still waiting for my ruby slippers though.

I will definitely go again next year to Cinderella. Come with us.

National Ice Cream Day

Today is National Ice Cream Day. You plan to celebrate don't you? It wouldn't be very patriotic not to. What do your choices tell about your personality? I am sure this is a "really" scientific

study, so if you don't know your own personality, this will tell you.

I prefer mint chocolate chip or vanilla loaded with nuts and chocolate. I will have to make up my own personality traits. So this is what I think: I am a family person, lively, creative, idealistic, conservative, detail oriented, and competent. However......I have been known to indulge in a little vanilla with strawberries too though, and maybe Moose tracks, butter brickle, and peanut butter cup on occasion. I have also dabbled in heath bar or Oreo ice cream so let's just say I have a well rounded personality and a well rounded......well never mind. In actuality, I don't eat it that often, but when I do I really do enjoy it.

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Pick your favorite ice cream flavor and find out what it says about your personality.
1. Vanilla 2. Chocolate 3. Butter pecan 4. Banana 5. Strawberry 6. Chocolate chip

Analysis
If you like vanilla , you are colorful, impulsive, a risk taker who sets high goals and has high expectations of yourself. You also enjoy close family relationships. Gregarious, lives a hectic life. Easily suggestible, expressive, idealistic; a private person.(Prototype lovelorn housewife.)

If you like chocolate, you are lively, creative, dramatic, charming, enthusiastic and the life of the party. Chocolate fans enjoy being at the center of attention and can become bored with the usual routine. Seductive, well-dressed, extroverted, easily influenced, a follower, intuitive, enjoys intimate relationships.(Prototype: feminine woman, macho man.)

If you like butter pecan, you are orderly, perfectionist, careful, detail-oriented, conscientious, ethical and fiscally conservative. You are also competitive, aggressive in sports and the take-charge type of personality.(Prototype: executive, secretary.)

If you like banana, you are easy going, well adjusted, generous, honest and empathetic.(Prototype: the perfect husband, wife, parent or child.)

If you like strawberry, you are shy, yet emotionally robust, skeptical, detail-oriented, opinionated, introverted and self critical. Easily made to feel guilty; cranky, pessimistic, low self-esteem.(Prototype: bureaucrat, journalist.)

If you like chocolate chip, you are generous, competitive and accomplished. You are charming in social situations, ambitious and competent. A visionary, a conqueror, enjoys being catered to, a go-getter, intolerant of defeat.(Prototype: Industry leaders, voted most likely to succeed in school.)

Compatibility:If your favorite flavor is:

Vanilla - you are most likely to be compatible with someone whose favorite flavor is vanilla.
Chocolate - compatible with butter pecan or chocolate chip.
Butter pecan - compatible with butter pecan, chocolate and chocolate chip.
Banana - compatible with all flavors.
Strawberry - compatible with chocolate chip.
Chocolate chip - compatible with butter pecan or chocolate.

I think I am compatible with about everyone!

Real???

I stumbled upon this Youtube video and at first I didn't get why this guy kept flexing his face and looking so weird. I hadn't really read the info first, so when I did I was amazed. For around $700 you can look like this dude for your next Halloween party. Or if he doesn't float your boat, there are several other ones that might. I didn't publish the old lady head shots, but she is too realistic to be believed. You might not be a credible witness if you saw a crime being committed using this product.

'Handsome Guy' Human Mask Is So Realistic, It's Creepy - Urlesque

After you look at this video, google SPFX Masks and see the others.