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Showing posts from September, 2009

Mohr im Hemd

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I finally got up the nerve to try my own Mohr im Hemd. This was the dish that we always ordered if we found it on the menu. It translates as "The Moor and His Shirt" which is so politically incorrect that it isn't easy to find, even though it is a traditional Viennese dish. It is a steamed pudding, like the Christmas dessert I grew up on and it is very moist and very chocolate, though not as sweet as an American dessert. It was successful enough that Rob had me make it twice more in the same weekend. Happily, after learning how to make it, I feel less guilty about eating the stuff. How often does that happen? Here is the recipe I used, as opposed to the top secret family recipe that I don't even have, or the recipe from my Austrian cookbook that asks for 'gratified butter': MA's Mohr im Hemd 3 bread rolls, crusts removed and cubed 1 c milk 3/4 c unsalted butter 1/4 c sugar 8 oz best and darkest chocolate you can find 8 eggs 1/2 c sugar 1/2 c walnuts,

Bear River Bird Refuge

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From Promontory we talked about going to see Spiral Jetty, but after talking to the rangers, we decided we'd wait until we had the truck and save ourselves the $500 towing fee for minivans in the middle of nowhere. Instead, we stopped by the bird refuge by Corinne way up at the top of the Salt Lake. Our camera has no real telephoto, so this was the best I could do. We saw pelicans, blue herons, snowy egrets, something or other grebes, swallows and lots of things we didn't know the names of. It was pretty and no one was around. We let Joss drive. This was the pelican Chuck-a-Rama. You could just see them saying: "Percy, please have another carp!" "Oh, Penelope, I couldn't possibly. I've had three already." See the spots above here? Those are the backs of the carp, swimming in water too shallow for them. Kind of creepy, but then I've always thought Chuck-a-Rama was pretty scary too! I can't believe how big Sebastian is! Because he's

Golden Spike in Promontory

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For the long weekend we decided to go somewhere. We went to Promontory, Utah to the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Rob had been as a kid and remembered it as a big dusty spot in the middle of nowhere. I wanted us to see a reenactment that they do over the summer. They had one scheduled at 1:00pm and we made it, barely. I was glad that we saw it. I think the kids really got into the history and significance a lot more seeing the people in period costumes, hearing the speeches given and telegrams sent and even the prayer that was said; of course the two locomotives made a big impression as well. Even Joss took notice when they blew their whistles and rang their bells and belched steam. Afterward the kids got to meet the actors and hold the spikes and race the locomotives as they rolled down the tracks. The kids worked hard to get their junior ranger badges at the site. One of the rangers noticed Will's shirt, which was in German and so Ranger Ott gave the kids the whole jun

In which my drop in the polls with 8-year-old boys is explained

Will: Mom, why did you name your blog 'The Professor and Mary Ann'? Me: There used to be this TV show named "Gilligan's Island" and in the theme song - Will: I know, I know. But why didn't you name it something classy? Me:

Reaping Where We Did Not Sow . . .

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We did plant something of a garden before we left, but not much. Thanks to our generous friends and neighbors and the farmers' market, though, we've put up quite a lot since returning. I made the Barbara Kingsolver tomato sauce , raspberry jam, strawberry rhubarb (we still had rhubarb in August!), peach raspberry, and our first forays into low-sugar jam with peach and blackberry. We rather liked them, though they weren't so popular in Delaware . We've also been freezing berries and peaches and drying herbs and tomatoes. My family laughed when I got Rob a dehydrator for Christmas a few years ago (mostly because it was as seen on TV !). Ahhhh, but we will be laughing when we're making the black bean soup with Rob's dried tomatoes this winter. You can see on the bookshelf that I just finished Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food . I find I need to read about one book like this a year to recommit to all the work and money and time it takes to eat healthier. In t

See Betsy Go!

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See Betsy Swim! and Bike! and Run! Which is what we did last Saturday for her first triathlon. The kids were so impressed that they want to do it next year. Ay ay ay! I'm not certain I'm ready to do that! We are so proud of you, Betz! Way to go!

The Natalie Portman, please

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My hair has been like this for nearly 25 years. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer, sometimes with layers cut by overeager hairstylists which I then have to grow out . . . but basically a blunt cut with no bangs. It was time for a change. So I went to see Kirby and asked for the Natalie Portman, circa Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Not the shaved head, nor the Queen Amidala. Of course it had to be a children's movie! And this is what I got. Unfortunately these are Saturday morning pictures where I haven't styled it or even showered, but who cares? That is the best thing about the haircut. I don't care. Rob said I looked like Simon Le Bon. He said he felt like he was sleeping next to Rod Stewart. This morning he said I looked like Ducky in Pretty in Pink. I wet my hair down and Maddie said I looked like Draco Malfoy. Sebi said that I have even more monkey-chicken hair than he does in the mornings. I note that there seem to be masculine/80's themes to most of the

A Roger and Sandy McFarland Reunion

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Happily, the week the kids started school, Rob's sister and family came down from Idaho. The whole clan went up to South Fork for a picnic on Saturday and we got to see everyone and catch up on some very busy summers. Family members have made a movie, been polishing up a crime novel, training for a triathlon and made a quick jaunt over to Australia for work. That's just the tip of the iceberg! Joss has been pretty clingy through all of the traveling and changing hotels, cars, people, places and countries, but his aunt Betsy was more persistent than he was used to. He was won over quickly. Meghan, Maddie, Kailey and Jessie. It is always so fun to see the kids get together. They blend seamlessly and play beautifully and it is often hard at a glance to tell who belongs to which family. Rob and Rick and their Mini-me versions played in the water. Eventually everyone else joined them. We played until we were all played out. We can't wait until next time!

Just Dive In

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While we were in our holding pattern over Rhode Island, I made a grocery list. From experience I know that I'll be up before the rest of Provo and need to go fill up the fridge before the family wakes up and wants whatever mealtime they think it happens to be. That done, we made appointments with Gwen to cut four McFarlands' hair. Gwen is the only person we've found with the expertise for the peculiarities of the gigantical McFarland cranium. Having booked her for most of the afternoon, we were ready to take our morning naps. That was Friday. We went to the farmers' market on Saturday, and it is fun to see how vibrant and thriving that scene is now in Provo. A great place to go buy produce and run into friends. On Sunday both Rob and I forgot what time our ward meets. So we got everyone there just in time for the last hour: Sacrament Meeting. Oops! Monday and Tuesday nights we went to Back to School night and saw classrooms and met teachers. We did not have beautiful b

And We Flew Home

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I'm terribly backlogged, but I'm still optimistic enough to try go in order. We flew home. It was just another trip, but this one was memorable because: - Austrian Air placed our family all over the plane again despite several e-mails and phone calls; some counter workers in the Swechat airport now have Rob-shaped bite marks. This cinches their slogan as "Heaven in the Air -- Hell on Earth" which we thought up for them. Think it would get them sales? We begged complete strangers to switch with us once again so that Joss, Sebi and Will wouldn't have to sit by themselves in three different rows. I couldn't help but notice that they managed to get a dozen or so AFS students all together in a group. - Once we reached New York, we were sent to a holding pattern over Rhode Island; then we were diverted to a small airport in Connecticut. We had to stay on the plane. Will had a panic attack and the flight attendants popped open the back door so that he could waggle h