Visitors from Arizona

We have had a busy last couple of weeks. Some friends of ours Mike and Shelly came up from Arizona for a visit. The weather was fairly cooperative and we enjoyed taking them around to see the sites. Maddie loved the aquarium. I was almost arrested for child abuse as I forced her to touch a starfish in the touch tank but she has been talking about it ever since (I knew she would). She says "I touched a starfish" and I ask her what she was doing when she was touching the starfish and she says "screaming". But seriously this kid loves marine life in any form. We were thrilled with the octopus performance and got a great look at his underside and beak. We also went to Pike Place Market and sampled Beecher's Cheese which was fabulous. I got some pastry's from a bakery and some fantastic orange cinnamon black tea. It is so good with milk. Don't even need sugar it is so sweet.

This weekend we went over to our friend's Brooke and Jason's house and had an Italian themed dinner party. There was so much fabulous food we ate ourselves silly. I helped to roll out the pasta which was a new experience for me and one I think I need to practice. I made the filling for butternut squash ravioli and it was pretty good. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/butternut-squash-ravioli-with-sage-brown-butter-and-bittersweet-chocolate-recipe/index.html
A tad too sweet I think. Next time I won't add the molasses. The brown butter sage sauce was quite tasty and I am very fond of crunchy-fried-in-butter sage leaves. Cheslea made this delicious pesto and salad and Jill made an alfredo sauce that was so creamy.

Alfredo Sauce
2 chicken boullion cubes
1/2 c water
1/2 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c half & half
1 c parmesan cheese
garlic powder, to taste
Dissolve chicken boullion cubes in 1/2 cup water.Melt butter over low heat in saucepan.Gradually, stir in flour.Continue stirring and gradually add half-and-half.Add chicken boullion.Increase heat to medium and continue stirring.Cook until thickened.Stir in parmesan cheese and garlic powder, if desired.Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley Jill says: I subbed 1 c of non fat milk for the half & half, and the first time I made it I used 1 c 1% and 1 c half & half. They both seemed to work fine. Also, I added bacon and mushrooms the 2nd time I made it, and at the same time I forgot to add the parm cheese! So I think if you're going to add bacon, don't add the cheese, or do very little, I think it would be very salty

We had Brooke and Jason's signature chocolate mouse cake for dessert.
Chocolate Mouse Cake
From How to be a Domestic Goddess cookbook.
11 oz best bittersweet chocolate
2 oz best milk chocolate
¾ C unsalted butter
8 large eggs, separated
Scant ½ C light brown sugar
½ C sugar1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
9 inch spring form pan lined with (oven size) aluminum foil
Preheat the oven to 350 and put the kettle on to boil. Line the spring form pan with foil, making sure to press into sides and bottom of pan so that it forms a smooth surface. This will prevent water from getting in the cake when it is cooked in the water bath.Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave or double boiler, and let it cool. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugars until very thick and pale, as creamy as mayonnaise; the mixture should form and fall in ribbons when you life up the whisk. Stir in the vanilla and salt, and then the cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form, then lighten the chocolate mixture with a briskly beaten in dollop of whites before gently folding the rest of them into it.Pour the cake batter into the foil lined spring form, which you have placed in a large roasting pan. Add hot water from the recently boiled kettle to come about 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan and carefully put the roasting pan with its cargo into the oven.Cook for 50 minutes. The inside of the cake will be damp and mousse like, but the top should look cooked and dry. Let it cool completely on a cooling rack before releasing it from the pan. This calls for a little bit of patience, because you will need to peel the foil gently away from the sides. Just go slowly and remember that this is a very damp cake and you won’t be able to pry it away from its foil lined base – though its easy enough to tear off excess foil once you’ve set the cake on its plate. Dust with powdered sugar if you want, and serve with crème fraise and maybe some raspberries.

Maddie had a little visit with her friend she has know since she was 6 months old, Jennalyn. They had a great time at Penny park and they kept Jen and I on our toes. Both girls are tom boys and had their shoes and socks off in no time.

We can't wait for Grandma and Grandpa Peterson to come up and visit from California. We are also looking at planning a trip out to see my Grandparents in North Carolina some time in October or November.