The other week I decided that I’d try to make it at home and see if I could convince Elvis to love it. Luckily, he really enjoyed it! I made enough for us for dinner, to take to lunch the next day and there were still two servings left on a plate in the refrigerator which he had demolished before I got home. So I consider this recipe to be a success and we’ll be making it again!

I used this recipe (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pad-thai-2/detail.aspx) from Allrecipes, but I changed a bunch of things based on other peoples’ reviews and it turned out wonderfully.

12 oz rice noodles
4 T olive oil, divided
2 green onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
4 eggs
4 T rice vinegar
7 T fish sauce
4 T white sugar
1 T crushed red pepper flakes
2 c bean sprouts
2 carrots, thinly bias-sliced
1/4 c crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped in 3/4″ pieces
1 lime, cut into wedges

Bring about 5 c of water to a boil, then pour over the noodles to cook them. Once softened, drain and set aside.

Heat 2 T of the olive in a large frying pan (or maybe a wok if you have one). Add in the green onions and garlic, saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add in the chicken pieces and cook until done. Remove the chicken.

Add the remaining 2 T of olive oil into the pan. Once heated, scramble the 4 eggs. Add chicken back in. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the prepared noodles into the pan. Add vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Once noodles are tender, add in carrots and bean sprouts, cooking for 3 more minutes. Serve topped with peanuts, green onions and a lime wedge.

1/2 c margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
8oz low fat cream cheese
4 oz Parmesan cheese
1 1/3 c skim milk
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t nutmeg

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic in while the butter’s melting so it can cook a bit.

Add in the cream cheese and stir with a whisk until smooth.  Add in the Parmesan, keep whisking!

Slowly add in the milk, again until smooth.  Add in the spices.  You can let this simmer a bit and it will thicken.  Also thickens when it cools.

It did reheat kind of strangely, but it still tasted delicious!  I’ll definitely be making this one again!

(ASIDE: The Grange, for those of you who might not know, is a family fraternal organization (anyone older than 5 years old can participate!) which seeks to better rural America through community service, education, legislation and fellowship. The Grange was founded just after the Civil War to provide local farmers a way to both socialize and ensure that their views were heard throughout the legislative branches of our state and national governments.)

The Centre County Grange Fair has now turned into a huge venture with more than 950 tent spaces (tents are 14′ x 14′ army surplus tents) and 1300 RVs that pull in for the year.  Starting last weekend, campers began to gather their “fair supplies” – where else in the world do people have beds, tables, cooktops, refrigerators and microwaves that are only used for 10 days out of the year? – and move into their temporary home away from home.  Some people who camp live close enough to walk home, if they really wanted to, but a trip through the parking lots reveals license plates from states as far away as Florida and probably even California.  Folks who grew up attending the Fair often use their precious vacation time from work to come back “home” for this special week.

Mom at our family tent - 2008.

According to a recent article, the waiting list for tents is a thousand years long.  So long, in fact, that you can no longer add your name to the waiting list.  These tent spaces are passed down from generation to generation through their wills and are often a hot topic in divorces – “You can have everything else, I want the tent!”  ”No, the tent’s MINE, you can have the Ferrari.”  Haha, okay, maybe not that extreme, but still, it’s an important tradition for many people!

Growing up, we always camped. Though it’s not my dad’s favorite week (has to do with working long hours there when he was younger) the rest of my family really enjoys it.  Going back to the Fair each year now is kind of a bittersweet experience.  I still love it and the people, but there are all sorts of memories there connected to people who are no longer with us.  Visiting Pap and Grandma’s tent first thing in the morning before anything else opened.  Helping move furniture out of the old Y. P. of H. building with Pap or sitting in Grandma’s tent in 80* weather with the heater running.  When we were really little, we’d go to the milking barns to visit Pap as well. We’d often visit Great Aunt Dot’s tent to eat her delectable Boston Creme Pie.  Joking with Lisa about her funny accent.  Or even helping to place entries in the art show with Brenda.  Sitting in front of Miriam’s tent with Heather counting how many times we could catch a come-back ball or going to get her favorite Fair meal – soup in a homemade bread bowl.  Just thinking about all of these things has me teary-eyed now, but the Fair is truly a place to create great memories!

The week before the fair, there was always a lot of pressure to finish our 4-H projects and entries for the art and hobby show, but we were always SO excited for that moment when the judging was done and we could walk through and see our blue, red and white (and sometimes yellow, green or pink) ribbons!

Every morning used to start off at 8am with Dot announcing “Rise and shine, everyone, and put your coffee pots on, it’s another great day at Grange Fair” and the paper boys yelling “CDT, Centre Daily Times, paaaaaaaaaaper, CDT, Center Daily Times…”.  Those traditions have stopped since people like to sleep in now *rolls eyes* and the CDT now offers everyone free delivery (I think).

The Fairgrounds seemed SO HUGE when we were younger.  Even though they’re even bigger now, they seem so small!  We would spend days walking around discovering every nook and cranny possible, always bouncing a comeback ball (these cheap balls on rubber strings that were always the first purchase made each year, though they’ve now changed to some ridiculous oversized balls with thick strings covered in thread…).  There was always the list of foods we had to eat and everyone knows that the best sno-cones are made at Klucker’s.  Heather and I would even come up with ridiculous baton routines that we thought were so awesome. Back in the day, there was no fence on the playground and we spent hours building sandcastles and hanging upside-down from the jungle gym.  We gathered with friends to play Magic the Gathering and once even broke the card table playing Slap Jack….NORMAN!  (That’s why we now have a wooden table in the tent and not one of those crappy cardboard ones…)

tram ride

We liked to go to the kid’s circus where you were invited to be a part of the show and could even be shot out of a cannon! We also went to Storybook Hour at the little trailer quite often – the draw was that you could get your face painted for free afterwards, but first you sat through a video teaching you about God and Jesus.  We did crafts at the Rec Building and sometimes did some line dancing there, too.  Another definite item on the to-do list was to ride the tram around the Fair.  It’s not like we saw anything new as we rode around the grounds, but it was just something we HAD to do.  OH!  And how could I EVER forget visiting ALL the political tents and everywhere else they were giving out freebies to have enough pencils, pens, scrap paper, rulers, flyswatters and everything else you could imagine for the whole year!

Animal Dressing contest 2010 (Sorry for bad quality, was taken on my phone.)

Saturday night my parents were in charge of the animal dressing contest.  4-Hers brought their animals and could choose to dress them using clothes that they brought with them or clothes from a grab bag of clothing that was collected just for the contest (maybe things that didn’t fit us any more or was picked up at yard sales, etc.)  This always was good for a barrel of laughs as the stubborn goats just didn’t want to get dressed or a cow decided to take a dump in the middle!  There was also a milking contest where local “celebrities” would try to milk a cow and see who could get more milk from the cow.

Monday has been “kiddies day” at the fair – the only day that we were allowed to ride rides because it was either reduced or free rides (don’t remember which) and we could also play BINGO for less as well (I think).  Grandma and Pap, and Gram always gave us some extra money for this day as well.  I think that was the same day as the relay races and the GIANT ice cream sundae (which is more like a cup of slop by the time you get yours, but it’s still delicious!

Thursday was always the sad day – the day of the parade, but also the last day of the fair for the year. (And also just 5 days before the start of school.)

Though many kids spent their time in the arcades or at the dances at nights, we never really went.  In part because Mom didn’t let us and in part because we didn’t want to!  Even without these, there was never a dull moment and no reason to be bored!

When I was little, there were no showers at the fair.  And all of the toilets were these pit toilets that STANK!  Even from Day 1, the smell was horrid and it got even worse as the week went on – especially if you went at 4pm on a hot August day!  Luckily, that situation has changed!

Cousin Emily's goats - 2008

Highlights on the culinary tour of Grange Fair always include the Cinnamon Bun stand (this used to be RIGHT next to our tent and we were tortured by its smells every morning!), Wolfie’s french fries, cactus taters, kettle corn, gyros, the “today only footlong cheesesteak” special which has run every day of every year for as long as I can remember, the bread bowls, fried mushrooms and so much more!

Though I don’t look to the Fair with quite as much anticipation as I used to (in part because we can only go for weekends now), it is still an event that I look forward to every year.  I have only missed one fair (I think) completely which was when I was studying in Ecuador, but haven’t been able to stay the whole week since high school.

Luckily Elvis enjoys the Fair as much as I do, though he enjoys watching the animal shows MUCH more than I do!  I think it’ll remain a “family tradition” with our family for years to come!

…I’m going to have to search around and see if any Fair photos exist of us from “the good old days” and try to post them.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this one which was featured on the front page of the CDT when I was 4.

They’re super easy to make and delicious!

1 c butter
3/4 c cocoa powder
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease an 8×13″ pan (original recipe calls for an 8×8″ pan, but that makes them thicker and more cake-like.  After the first time we made them, we switched to an 8×13″!).

Melt butter.  Add in cocoa and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Stir just until smooth.  (Don’t overstir!)

You can add 1/2 c of walnuts if you’d like.

Spread mixture into prepared pan.  Bake 30 – 40 minutes. (Longer if you used the 8×8.) If you’re able to resist temptation, let them cool before cutting, but warm brownies always taste the best!

Since I moved down here, I’ve started jogging more frequently.  I’ll occasionally go with Elvis to the soccer fields and jog around the lake while he plays.  We’re also lucky to live within a 10 minute drive of two different lakes – one with a 1.35 mile path and one with a 1.25 mile path, so I sometimes go there to jog as well.

HOWEVER, this summer has been stinkin’ hot and humid!  I sweat on my walk to work at 7:45am, let alone on the walk back to the metro at 4:30pm!  Who wants to be outside in weather like that?  The temperature doesn’t even noticeably drop if I wait until 7pm to go out.

Instead of jogging, I have been exercising at the house using the Zumba Wii or Wii Fit, different Jillian Michaels’ workout videos (No More Trouble Zones is a killer!), or yoga DVDs.  Elvis and I have also gone on some bike rides on weekends that have been around 10 miles.

The temperature finally dropped enough this week to be comfortable outside, so I thought I’d get back out there and do some jogging.  Just to see what I could do.

On Wednesday, I went to Lake A and jogged around the outside.  I took a slightly longer route, so I think my total run was around 1.5 miles.  And then it started to rain.  So I had to stop and go home.  Boo.

Yesterday the weather was perfect and I was ready to go run.  Until my iPod froze.  Music motivates me when I run – who wants to listen to themselves huffing and puffing?  Plus it also has a timer with lap resets so I can figure out times.  Luckily a YouTube video saved the day and showed me how to unfreeze it (I’ve had this iPod since 2006 and I’m just now learning this???), so I was off to Lake B.

I ended up doing the longest jog of my life!  2.5 miles – no walking or stopping!  I averaged an 11 minute mile pace (not the fastest, but still, the point was the distance!) on my 2 laps around the lake.  It felt SOOO good!  There were a couple of points where I wanted to stop and walk (especially that hill around mile .8 or .9!) but I convinced myself to keep going and I’m so glad I did.  As I was jogging the last stretch a huge smile spread across my face – I’m sure the other people there thought I was weird!  It felt so good, though, to finally do it!

Now, the question is do I add more distance first or try to do it faster first?  One of my goals is – along with Tina – to run the Memorial Day 5K in Boalsburg next year, so I obviously need to add another .6 miles onto that, but I’d like to be able to do it faster as well.  Maybe I’ll somehow figure out a combination of the two – a faster 2.5 mile run one day a week and a longer run a different day with some cross-training in between…eh, we’ll see.

This was another book that I could not put down.  It is 750 pages which I read over 4 days.  The book picks up where the last book left off – with the main character (Lisbeth Salander) in the hospital after being brutally attacked and almost killing her father (a Russian defector granted safe harbor and protection by Sweden).  The book focuses on the process of preparing for Salander’s trial which turns into a much bigger job of also investigating the Swedish police force.  We’re then privy to the trial and some of the aftermath.

Unfortunately the author, Stieg Larsson died in 2004, before publishing the books. He apparently had a partial manuscript for a fourth book and outlines for a fifth and sixth book prepared (potentially even hoping to have 10 in the series).  His life-long partner says that she is up for the task of writing the books, but I wonder if she’ll be able to match his writing style, mixed plot lines and intensity.

All of these books are prize winners and he was even awarded USA Today’s Best Author of the Year award in 2010.  Over 14 million copies fo the books have been sold in the US which is a rarity because they are a translation of the original work.

If you haven’t yet read these books, I highly recommend them!

Island Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 T honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 c red onion, diced fine
1 lime, juiced
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 T jalapeno pepper, diced fine (optional)

For the marinade, drain the pineapple reserving the juice. Set the pineapple aside for the salsa. Add the soy sauce, honey, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pineapple juice. Stir, then put marinade into a ziploc bag with the chicken breasts for 4 – 24 hours.

For the salsa, mix together the pineapple, onion, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Grill chicken ~5 minutes per side or until no longer pink.

Serve with the pineapple salsa and brown rice (and black beans and tortillas if you’re married to Elvis ).

Luckily I have my handy dandy calendar to remind me of everything!

The weekend after returning from Uganda was a bit crazy.  On the 23rd (Mom and Dad’s 28th wedding anniversary), Elvis and I went to Lancaster to see Philip’s final musical as an undergraduate student.  He was Jesus in Godspell.  They did a really good job and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the theatre when it was over.  We drove home from there and the 24th was Easter which meant 2 church services and some yummy food for this family.

April 30, I helped Matthew and Megan move into their new house (YAY!).  Elvis…well, I don’t remember what he had going on that weekend…I think he was working, maybe.  We had a crab feast that evening.  It was funny to watch a bunch of first timers trying to tear theirs apart.  That’s one thing that living in MD does for you – teaches you how to eat crabs!

May 7 was Philip’s graduation!  It was hot (though not nearly as hot as it is today).  Their speaker was really good.  I don’t remember his name, but he lost his legs in a climbing accident and has gone on to designing these super bionic legs that allow him to do pretty much everything (and probably better than I can do it!).  We went out for lunch afterwards – Mom, Dad, Gram, Aunt Jean, Philip and myself to celebrate his graduation as well as Mother’s Day.

The following weekend was my friend Lauren’s bridal shower.  We did a scrapbooking fondue party which she loved.  The food was delicious and socializing was a lot of fun.

The weekend of 5/21 we stayed at home.  That was my first weekend completely at home since March 19.  Craziness.  We did go to the Patuxent Wildlife refuge for a bike ride, though.

Memorial Day weekend, I wasn’t going to go home, but a change in a friend’s flight schedule meant that I could go home on Sunday for Philip and Heather’s graduation parties as well as the Memorial Day service at church which was nice.

From reviewing my pictures on Facebook, I can see that on 6/4 Elvis and I went for a bike ride on some of the trails here around the house.  I imagine that we rode approximately 10 miles. 6/5 we went with Elvis’ sister to Great Falls.  We had previously visited the Virginia side of the falls in 2010 with Philip in the freezing depths of winter.  It was much more enjoyable to visit them on a BEAUTIFUL day.  We visited the Maryland side this time which is just as beautiful (not like the US versus Canada views of Niagara Falls!) though I do think there are more opportunities for hiking (maybe?) on the Virginia side.  The MD side also has a museum and part of the C&O Canal.

The following weekend we went camping.  We chose a different State Park this time (maybe some day we’ll be able to say we’ve been to them all!) – Point Lookout State Park.  Point Lookout is on a thin peninsula on the mainland part of MD (versus the Eastern Shore).  During the Civil War, the area was used as a camp for Confederate POWs by the north.  On one side of the park is the Potomac River and the other is the Chesapeake Bay – plenty of opportunities for fishing, crabbing, swimming, etc.  Unfortunately to get to any of those areas we had to drive (don’t want to put the bike rack on the new car!), but it was still nice.  Elvis even caught a decent sized fish (maybe 9 inches or more!) and almost had a crab, but he was trying to pull it up probably 30 feet and the crab just release and fell back in the water.  It was good to finally get out and camp, again, though, since it’s something that we both really enjoy doing and we didn’t have the opportunity to do it at all last summer!  We also visited a recreation of one of the forts that used to exist in the area that is now the park which was interesting. It rained A LOT one afternoon, but we were glad to learn that our tent didn’t leak and also glad that we stuck it out because the evening and the next day were a lot cooler.

On the way home, we stopped at Calvert Cliffs State Park to do some fossil hunting.  Unfortunately it was VERY hot and we had to walk through a buggy swamp to get out to the cliffs, so Elvis was ready to go home before we ever got there!  We didn’t spend much time searching, but I did find a shark’s tooth which was pretty cool.  I’d kind of like to go back in the fall when it’s cooler to see what else is out there.  There were a bunch of families headed out when we were going back to the car, so there must be more to explore!

We also stopped by a roadside stand selling crabs and got a dozen #1 male crabs (fairly large) for $25 (they had a sale).  So we came home and had a feast!  I think Elvis ate 8 and I had 4.  He would eat crabs all day every day if he could.  Heck, he probably would have eaten the entire dozen if I had left him!  Maybe one day this summer we’ll drive back to that stand just for more crabs!  Yum yum yum!

The following weekend was Lauren’s wedding!  Yay! 

The next weekend I FINALLY was able to see Jenna as her and Ephraim were on their way to the airport.  We met up with Jenna’s parents for breakfast at a local restaurant.  Unfortunately I couldn’t spend the whole day with them because it was also the baby shower for another friend, Julia.  That was a lot of fun!  Afterwards a group of us (not including Julia – she’s pregnant!) went to Hershey Park for the afternoon.  It was great to spend time with Christy and Laura (who also studied in Ecuador with us, but I haven’t seen in FOREVER).  In order to do this, we rode around Chocolate World like 15 times (okay, so maybe only 3…or was it 4?) in order to waste time until we could get in for the sunset admission price.  We still rode several roller coasters and other rides while in there, so it was totally worth it.

And suddenly, it was July.  The weekend of the 4th we went home to celebrate…well, sort of!  It was nice, though, because there weren’t any planned events going on so we could RELAX!  We did make a trip to the farmer’s market (a little disappointing) and I got to eat breakfast with Tina, Sarah and Aunt Janet (always exciting) and we set off some legal fireworks in the church parking lot (also disappointing).  It was good to go home, though.

That week we also purchased Elvis’ new (to us) vehicle – a ’97 4Runner – the one he has always wanted, he says.  He plans to use it around here for a few years for work, mostly, while saving up for a new car.  Then he’ll ship the 4Runner to Guatemala to either sell, trade (in exchange for land) or for his family to use (his mom says it’ll be perfect for travelling to her hometown which is a 7 – 8 hour bus ride away!).

That Thursday we received an invitation for a workshop in Venezuela.  Which started the following Monday.  My boss is currently on vacation, so he couldn’t go, but they extended the invitation to me as well.  In two days time, I had a plane ticket, but first needed to go back to Pennsylvania for a friend’s wedding.  Sara and I played basketball together in 7th and 8th grade, then played soccer together in high school and also roomed together freshman year of college (and remained friends throughout college), so it was important for me to be there.  SOOOOOO I packed EVERYTHING on Thursday night, drove home Friday night, went to the wedding on Saturday, left part way through the reception (no cake for me) drove back to DC, repacked, and left at 6:30am for the airport Sunday morning.  It was crazy, to say the least.

One thing I didn’t realize was that my ticket from DC through Aruba was first class.  Since we’re not allowed to fly first class, it never even passed through my mind until I was boarding and saw my ticket said 1F…wait?  1???  Yep, front and center. (Okay, so front and window, but it doesn’t sound as good…)  SWEET!  Flying first class was awesome – yummy food, comfy, roomy seats, free drinks (which I didn’t drink – it was too early!), what could be better?

From there I flew to Caracas and from Caracas to Ciudad Bolivar.  I assumed it was some small forest town, but I was WAY wrong.  (Luckily I consulted Wikipedia before leaving!)  Ciudad Bolivar is the capital of Bolivar state and has about 350,000 people.  It is right on the Orinoco River, one of the longest rivers in South America.  It is named after Simon Bolivar (The Great Liberator) who aimed to unite all of South America into one country (obviously didn’t happen).  One of the most famous battles was in Bolivar (which had a different name at that time) when Bolivar and his troops overcame the Spanish which eventually led to the independence of Venezuela and many other South American countries.  (I don’t know if you’ve ever took note, but the flags of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador are quite similar for this reason.)

The workshop was for indigenous representatives from Venezuela to learn about REDD – reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation – one of the many mechanisms to help slow climate change.  Unfortunately, it will be very difficult for them to develop this in the country because the Venezuelan government currently does not allow it and also because no indigenous territories are currently demarcated in the country.  Most people see land tenure as a prerequisite for a successful REDD project (you can’t really sell something you don’t own or at least have full control over), though others argue that a REDD project can help communities lay their claims to their land.  ANYWAY.  The event was really interesting and it was great to get to know another country and some of its people.  (Venezuela is #20 outside of the US for me if you count Germany where I only landed, but did walk across the tarmac, and my passport is stamped there because it was my first entry point into the EU and not counting Aruba which belongs to The Netherlands.)

One thing that is also cool is that Venezuela has a system of orchestras where they teach kids how to play an instrument from a very young age.  One night a group came to play for us, ranging in age from 13/14ish to 60+, I imagine.  They were GOOD.  All of the music was upbeat with jazz undertones and it was amazing to listen to them!

I flew back a day early to see Mom and Dad at Matthew and Megan’s on Saturday (though Megan isn’t there for the summer ) and celebrate our birthdays – mine, Matthew’s and Elvis’ are all within 2 weeks of each other.

Sunday was spent cleaning and cooking for Elvis and his cousins who came over to watch a soccer game and since then, I’ve either been at work or home.  It is too hot for me to even go to the soccer fields in the afternoons (though Elvis still goes!), so that is why I was able to try and post different recipes this week!

This weekend I think will be spent at home, though some friends may come to hang out!  I hope so!

Elvis said that I should add this to the list of “Elvis’ favorite recipes”. I’d do that, but I need to find a better way to organize my recipes first! So many times I just write the recipe on a piece of notebook paper or a note card and then try it and then lose it. Even though I have a binder…and several cookbooks…and a recipe card holder… :-S I guess I should just stick to one method! Or figure out some way to do it on the computer (though having the computer in the kitchen can be quite messy!!!).

Anyway, the real reason that he loved this recipe is because it has black beans, corn, cumin and lime juice. I must admit, it was pretty good!

This is based off of Rachel Ray’s Recipe, but with some additions and substitutions. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe/index.html)

Elvis’ Favorite Black Bean and Corn Salad

2 c black beans, rinsed and drained
kernels cut off of 2 cobs of corn (no need to cook!)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t hot sauce
3 limes, juiced
2 T olive oil
1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Homemade from the top to the bottom! (Well, the cheese wasn’t homemade…) It was delicious! It even had fresh oregano from Matthew’s garden on it!

Pizza crust:
1 c warm water
1 T white sugar
2 1/4 t (1 pkg) active dry yeast
3 T olive oil
1 t sea salt
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Stir in olive oil and salt. Stir in flours until well blended. Let rest for 10 minutes. Pat into pizza pan or onto stone.

Margarita sauce:
1/4 c olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t sea salt
8 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Stir together and let rest for 15 minutes

Use oil and spices directly on the pizza crust. Put cheese on top (I used a block of mozzarella and cut it into slices). Top with tomatoes and oregano. Bake at 425*F for 15 minutes.