Swim lessons

Me and Jack survived our first few days of swim lessons! Although I was definitely the more nervous of the two of us, I think we both ended up having fun. Jack has even made a friend. He is one sleepy bubba by the time we get back. We have just enough time to eat lunch (another Smitten Kitchen recipe!) and head for nappy nap time. Yesterday, I made the avocado Tartine sandwich which was quite yummy and better yet was made out if some of Jack's favorite foods - avocado and cucumber. 

Hopefully that makes up for the Del Taco we picked up today ha! 

I tackled my next SK recipe tonight - the intriguing Buttered Popcorn Cookie. I was full I anticipation but sadly the cookies fell flat... Really flat. They looked like popcorn filled crepes; don't get me wrong, they were delicious but a little embarrassing to give out at a work meeting so looks like we'll be eating them at home. Lesson learned - don't over beat the eggs, butter, and sugar or you'll be eating a lot of flat cookies by yourself. 

Summer: Day Four

I am not a born cook. But since I lucked out and married one I have developed a liking for cooking. All growing up, my mom constantly tried to entice me into helping her cook in the kitchen; poor woman, I turned her down everytime. So, she is endlessly impressed with whatever I cook, regardless of its quality, since she was afraid I was a lost cause. How times have changed. There has been one cookbook that has recently inspired me. I was first intrigued with Deb Perelman, author of the blog and cookbook Smitten Kitchen, when I heard her discussing her dislike of dust jackets in an interview and I yelled "me too!" into my empty car. I knew i could trust her taste in food as well. As soon a I got her book (thanks, Tracy!), I promptly disrobed it and drooled over those magnificent pictures using it as a coffee table book for the first few days so I could show anyone who came over. The few recipies I have tried out have increased my faith in her tastes as well as my own cooking abilities - if she developed her cooking chops in that tiny New York kitchen, then I was not a lost cause. So one of my goals, created in those first heady days of summer when everything seems possible, is to make at least one thing a week from her cookbook, three things in a good week. This week's first item was the New York breakfast casserole - bagels, red onion cream cheese, tomatoes, and eggs mixed into glory. I made it the night before, but it took quite a while to bake (1:15) in the morning. I was able to pop it in the oven, crawl back in bed, then wake up to the smell of that savory casserole while we snuggled with our little widget in bed. 

It was soo good and did not dissapoint, but we needed about four more people to help us finish the thing off! 

After our delicious breakfast Jack and I decided to check out the library and near by playgrounds, but had our adventure time cut short by Jack's first bee sting which he handled like a champ.

Please note the sock ice pack tied around his little foot. 

Day four - a success dampened only by the bees. Stupid bees. 

Summertime

Just about every job I have had, has afforded me the opportunity to have a summer. And I love it. I have been spoiled rotten and really cannot imagine life without it. Not that teaching is an easy profession at all: There are times where I dream of having a job that allowed me to be done working when I left for the day. I hate having piles of papers to be graded haunt my conscience those moments I find some free time. Trying to cajole middle schoolers to write more and actually read their novels. But I cling to the idea of summer just as much as those students. I am a homebody, content with reading books and soaking in the pool; if that happens simultaneously all the better!  But my always on-the-move toddler has quite the opposite idea of summer fun. So my goal this summer is to live it up...with a toddler in tow.  I have concocted a list of places to go and things to do that will hopefully keep us both happy and sane. 

Wrap it Up Togo

We experienced quite a bit in the last three weeks. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of friends, family, and complete strangers. To drive through America, or at least the parts we did, is a great way to get an idea of what it is. Of course more than an hour or a few days is needed to really know a place, but if you don't have that, maybe the best thing you can do is to share a meal. In an effort to wrap up our trip and convey to you the places we enjoyed most, we have decided to provide a list of our favorite dining experiences. Many times it was in these meals that we tasted the real flavor of the region and felt the warmth of our temporary hosts. Bon Appetite!

La Posta- Las Cruces, NM

This restaurant is the latest (by latest I mean 75 years) incarnation of a building that once served as a post office, trading post, and hotel. At times it also housed Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa. The beans were great and portions were generous. Try the sopaipillas.

Al and Son's BBQ- Big Springs, TX

On our own personal quest for great BBQ, we just happened upon this place. It is served cafeteria style. We quickly found out that vegetables in the south include potato salad, butter beans, and candied yams. Yes please! Great, great ribs.

Spaghetti- Ft. Worth, TX

Not all our meals were eaten at restaurants and many of our best were home cooked. During our visit with Jason's second cousins, much more like Aunt and Uncle, we were greeted with Leslie Edward's famous spaghetti. What more could ask for after a day on the road then a big hug from some family and an even bigger plate of spaghetti.

Jacquesimo's- New Orleans, LA

Jason ate here during Danny's bachelor party a year ago. Needless to say he was very excited to return and share the experience with Jess. It did not disappoint. The atmosphere is enough to draw you in, mismatched decor including a pick-up truck/dining table out front, but the food makes you feel glad you have taste buds. A hot garlic cornbread muffin waits as you find your seat. Fried oysters top salads and the cheesecake has alligator and shrimp in it. Jess ate chicken remoulade and Jason ate red fish with a crab chili sauce. This is a must eat in NOLA.

Coop's Place- New Orleans, LA

Would you expect anything less then great from a place with a name like Coop's. This place is kind of a dive, but par for the course considering most of the restaurants in the Quarter. Red beans and rice are hearty and tasty even if it ain't Monday. Jambalaya had a nice spice that paired well with a cold Abita. Cheap and good, just our style.

Cafe Du Monde- New Orleans, LA

Beignets, Cafe Au Lait, the love of your life, and a city that is hot, humid and alive no matter the time.

BBQ Shop- Memphis, TN

Jason was never really a "rib guy" before our trip. However, he will sing the praises of smoked, dry rubbed pork from Memphis for the rest of his life. This place has the tastiest ribs on earth. We will find ways to make Memphis part of every family vacation because of this place. Layover in Memphis on our way to Rome, yes please! Nice people work there too. Say hello to Eric.

Neely's BBQ- Memphis, TN

One of the best finds by our GPS. Short on time and needing to get on the road, we wanted one last taste of Memphis BBQ. With those three letters in our GPS we headed to Corky's. Well, were Corky's may once have been. Dejected, we decided there might be a Sonic on our way. On a whim we hit search again and recognized the name. Who cares about Anthony Bourdain, the Food Network has some talent. Case in point, pulled pork sandwich from the Neely's BBQ Restaurant. We headed to the togo counter (clutch!) ordered two sandwiches and a slice of pecan pie. Now this is the way to leave a city, full of pork and sweet, sweet pie.

Tri-Tip- Rushville, IL

We dined at many good, good places. However, not enough can be said about the people you share those meals with. We shared a few with our friends the Seals in the small town of Rushville in south west Illinois. On Independence Day this year we sat around a big wooden table in an old Victorian home surrounded by wonderful people and ate fantastic tri-tip as the rain fell outside. We were looking for small town charm on our nation's birthday and found what really holds us together, friendship.

Head West Sub Shop- Springfield, IL

Famished in the land of Lincoln, and just outside his library, we hit up the parking garage attendant for a lunch recommendation. Our indie rock meter man did not disappoint. Huge sandwiches with vinaigrette at a reasonable price is the way to Jess' heart.

Goose Island Brewery- Chicago, IL

Maybe this isn't were everyone hangs out before Cubs games, but we did. The 312 and Summer ale were tasty. They even helped us find a place to eat. Nice people there in Chicago.

Portillo's- Chicago, IL

We wanted to eat at Hot Dougs. It was closed. Please go there and tell us about it. However, Portillo's was something we happened upon. Fate, probably not. They are everywhere. Why? Because they make a fine Chicago style dog. Jason accompanied his with a traditional Chicago tamale. Hot tamale and the red hots. Thank you Robert Johnson.

Foster Cheese Haus- Foster, WI

Have you eaten a bratwurst and sauerkraut pizza recently? No! You really should. We were hungry and once again a helpful tip from an informed local with great taste led us to yet another tasty meal. The Cheese Haus in Foster featured all local Wisconsin dairy and it was delicious. I dream of the day when I too will gather a small heard of artisan cows and produce artisan cheese. Until that day comes I will rest assured that somewhere in Wisconsin there are small farms carrying on the good fight. Eat cheese from California, love cheese from Wisconsin.

Backdeck BBQ- Ham Lake, MN

Jason has enjoyed many BBQ's with the Paulsons over the years. However, none were on their home turf. Burgers with aged cheddar, cajun style salmon, steak, corn on the cob, a birthday party, stories from Papa Paulson, and company of great friends Will and Liz. The meal is about who you share it with. It makes anything gourmet.

Campfire Hot Dog's- Yellowstone, WY

We roasted weiners over the open fire in the world's first national park with my sister Nellie and my favorite niece Maddy. We drank Dr. Pepper from the original bottler in Dublin, TX (carried with us for over 5,000 miles) and ate s'mores to round off the evening. You could stamp summer all over this one.

Ted's Montana Grill- Bozeman, MT

Bozeman was not on our original route. It was someplace Jason remembered visiting as a kid and we are glad we went. Bison burgers are what you eat at Ted's. There is beef and other things, but Bison is what you eat. Huge patties on brioche rolls. Onion rings individually battered from a homemade recipe. Waiters from Orange County that want to talk Angel baseball. What was not to love?

Pickle Barrel- Bozeman, MT

Huge sandwiches with vinaigrette. Cheap, huge sandwiches with vinaigrette.

Machiavelli's- Seattle, WA

Seafood in Seattle, nahhhh. Due to inhibitions of taste we moved in and out of the Emerald City without tasting pescado. That's okay because there was Machiavelli's. Once again, the good suggestion of a trusty local (our tour guide on the underground tour. I believe our generous tip of two dollars led him to divulge the culinary secrets of the city, or not) , led to a happy belly. We both had chicken piccata on our 2nd anniversary. We dipped our delicious bread in even better vinaigrette and were served by the nicest waitress on our journey. Amie made our meal. We relaxed, we ate, we were lost in our own day. People make the difference and this was no exception. Jessica took home a bottle of the vinaigrette on the house. This made for one happy girl.

Berries- Oregon and Washington

Jason could eat these until he was violet. Seasonal fruit is good, but seasonal fruit feet from were it was picked is even better. Jason ate most of two pints in matter of 30 mins. He made room for more in Oregon and those berries met the same fate. I don't think Jason could wait for a pie to made with fresh berries in the room, so we bought one already prepared. That was good too.

Pulled Spiced Beef Burritos- Cremwell, OR

We arrived at the home of Craig and Katie Leonard in the early evening. After taking a tour of their new farm, complete with goats, sheeps, and donkeys, we sat down to a meal at the family table. This was much like a scene in everyday life. You know the one. The one with two half naked babies, a talkative toddler, 4 adults, a puppy, and a table full of delicious Mexican food. In Oregon. We chatted, the kids got half the food in their mouths, we ate chocolate cake. After we fed the baby goats at civil twilight. We went to bed happy. We slept even better.

Foreign Cinema- San Francisco, CA

It was almost said that the BBQ shop was the tastiest pork ever eaten. More on that in a second. For over a year now we have been meaning to see our cousins Andy and Casey in San Francisco. This trip made that happen and they in turn made one of our top 3 dining experiences happen. The Foreign Cinema is in the Mission District of San Francisco. We were treated to dinner and this has several meanings in this case. First of all, Jason is super lucky and blessed to have an incredible family. They are kind and thoughtful, and the kind of people you like to hang out with. Jessica ate chicken, which she is convinced that is the best ever, and Jason ate a Lavender cured pork chop. Words cannot expressed what went on with my taste buds. This meal was ethereal, thank you Anthony Bourdain. Please imagine the juiciest, sweetest, biggest pork chop ever and then you might be in the neighborhood of what he experienced that night. I'm pretty sure Casey and Andy ate something too, but we'd be hard pressed to remember what it was. Great atmosphere. A must do in San Francisco, unless it gets too crowded for the Greensteins to eat there. In that case, please give them cuts. This goes for the place below. What a meal!

Tartine- San Francisco, CA

Do you like to eat? Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you like waiting in lines? Well, the line is worth it. This place probably came into existence when God parted the clouds and gave the owners all his favorite recipes for croissants. The best pastries either one of us has ever experienced. The morning bun, the double pain au chocalate, and croissant au jambon are must haves even if you go by yourself. Eat them alllllllllll!

Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam... between two buns and topped with a slice of tomato. 

We have headed out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, actually it may be closer to 15,ooo (one man-made), through the prairies of South Dakota (visiting Mt. Rushmore), and onto the foothills of Yellowstone and Grand Teton. South Dakota smelled of sweet fragrant grass (no kidding, could not get enough) and shined emerald green. It is a beautiful state, by far some of best scenery on our trip.

We are currently writing you from Jackson, WY. 

This little ski-town will serve as our base camp before Janelle, Maddy-Moo(Jason's niece), Jess and Jason head into Yellowstone National Park. We're all excited to see what lies ahead for us. We plan to camp for two night and eat 4 buffalo.

Photos:

Jess, Jason, and Will Paulson at Twins vs. Yankees

Jess with Corn Palace, SD mascot

Jason at Mt. Rushmore

Jason, Jess, Janelle, Maddy at park in Jackson, WY

Through the land of cheddar into the Land o' Lakes? Not quite, but something like that. We are writing you from Ham Lake, Minnesota where our gracious friends, the Paulson's, have put us up for a couple of night. We have seen the Twins play, former home of Angel great Torii Hunter, and roamed the back roads of Blaine. But mostly we have been able to catch up with Jason's good friend from college Will and the rest of their family, dad Tom and sister Liz. We were just in time to participate in 18th birthday celebrations for Cindy Paulson. Tomorrow we head to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Included in this post are a few pictures going back to Chicago and Wisconsin.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

More about that in a minute. From our last post we left you in Rushville, IL. We were in south-west Illinois to visit old neighbors from Chino, the Seals. We arrived late Friday night along with a storm. While the fireworks were postponed the following evening, we were able to catch up on the last 15 years that separated visits. Most of our conversations took place around big kitchen table where we shared laughs and stories as various family and friends joined in. The Seals live in a beautifully restored, completed by themselves, Victorian home. Jess' favorite part of the visit was the funnel cake and strawberry shake-ups at the county fair. Oh, and that the Seals like to sleep in. I have to admit I liked that too. However, my favorite may have been the Mud Sling at the county fair or maybe the relaxed pace of this small town. It has the ability to calm you down and appreciate the beauty that surrounded this place.

We were sad to leave, but we heard the beckon call of Chicago (as sung by Sufjan Stevens). Our trip there made a slight detour through Springfield, home of Lincoln. There we experienced the Lincoln museum, which was incredible. This is highly recommended. There were a myriad of interesting, educational, and inter-active exhibits. We wished we could have stayed longer. After a quick stop at Lincoln's tomb, were we enjoyed a sandwich, as tradition dictates, it was off to Chicago, our kind of town.

Today was jammed-pack full of experience and fun. We went on an architectural boat tour that gave us the lay of the city. At the Art Institute of Chicago there were impressionists and American painters for us to see. American Gothic, Nighthawks, Van Goph, and Renoir to name a few. After a quick bite and a tour through Millennium Park we headed to Wrigley Field. 

15 years ago the Cooper family came to watch the Cubs battle the Braves. Four days before we arrived in Chicago, baseball went on strike. As we entered the gates today it became a much different experience then was had 15 years ago. I became so thankful at what my parents did for us then and overcome with joy at the new experience Jess and I were sharing together. The confines did not disappoint. Derek Lee hit a home run. The Braves hit one too... and it was thrown back. We sang Take Me Out To The Ball Game with Eric Estrada. And to cap off the evening we lingered with Cub faithful to sing Go Cubs Go. What a night!

Tomorrow we head to Minneapolis. We're sad to leave but excited to see more friends.