A Beautiful Start to Autumn

Corey surprised me this week with a new Canon digital SLR, Rebel EOS T1i, camera. I got the play all weekend and here is a taste of the results!

Photo link: Autumn Begins

The Brave Patient

Corey had outpatient surgery on his ankle on Friday. He was very brave and decided to not take general anesthesia, he was awake and observed the entire procedure. I think he should blog about the rest of his experience. He resting and doing fantastic!

Uncle David Hoffart's Retirement Party

Last Sunday, we went to celebrate uncle David's retirement at the Hoffart "farm" or "vineyard", I am not sure what to call it, maybe David's grand retirement project. The grapes were in their prime on this warm sunny afternoon. They tasted so good and I know that they will taste even better in a glass of wine.

Photo link: David's Retirement Party

Corey's 15 min of fame last week

There was a major house fire in our neighborhood last weekend right after Sula's birthday party. Corey's video and witness accounts were described on the 10 o'clock news.

This movie is poor quality and you may have to adjust the volume to hear it. I took it on the fly so that Corey could see the news cast since he was out that night playing poker.

Nila's Homemade Ginger Limeade

I had multiple requests for this recipe at Sula's birthday party, here it is:

Ginger Limeade

This is an adaptation of a recipe found in The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (thank you Joan Hines again for this cookbook!). The amount of ginger can make this very spicy. Adjust the amount of lime juice and sugar to your taste.

1 large piece of ginger, about the size of your hand.

1 gallon of boiling water (about the size of a large plastic pitcher)

1.5 cups of fresh lime juice (about 10 limes)

1.5 cups of sugar

Heat the sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, 5 - 6 min. OR use superfine sugar that will dissolve easily.

Peel the ginger and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the ginger in the bowl of a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large pot or bowl, and add the boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain through a fine sieve. Discard the solids.

Add the lime juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve. If you want, add a little sparkling water to make it nice and fizzy. Serve in a tall glass with lots of ice and a lime wedge.

Yummy!

Birthday pictures have arrived!

Life has been non-stop since Sula's birthday and I finally had some time tonight to organize these pictures:

Sula's First Birthday

Sula's First Birthday

Sula turned one on Saturday in style with a smashing birthday party filled with family and friends. The weather was perfect, the cake was yummy, and the house was filled with cute little kids.

Sula had two chances at eating cake. In the afternoon during her party she was very hesitant to dig in and get messy.

Later that night, we gave her a second chance with a different cake. This time it was chocolate butter cream and she LOVED it. Check out that face.