Be-bop-a-re-bob Rhubarb pie and Powdermilk Biscuits

(This Birthday dinner sponsors)

I chose a breakfast menu for my birthday dinner this year. First, eggs are the perfect food, are they not? Second, a meal that all my children love and gobble with no complaints is a happy meal for me.

The rhubarb pie? Well, it grows fresh on the alleys of Lake City and makes a lovely custard pie with raspberries!

It was a grand party with lots of friends and family. Here is a photo of Lake City's newest 32 year-old...and my two favorite Amys. 

Chickens...etc

This week: I turned 32; one of our so-called-hens began crowing at dawn; Christian got two semi- trucks of logs delivered; Priya got a nice-sized splinter in her foot; Silas mastered the art of catching two chickens at once; and Levi continued to excel in all things adorable.

If you can't read the brass sign on our coop, it says "Women Only." Apparently, one of our chickens didn't get that message...He is proving to be a real pain in the neck...getting loose and crawling under the car, etc. If he's not going to lay an egg, well....we'll just have to see how long it takes to fatten him up.

For my birthday, I rode my bike up to Capital City, which was once a proposed site for the state Capital. A beautiful spot, but even in 2010, it is only accessible part of the year!

Busy June

A wedding, lots of work, hiking, swimming, playing, biking, concerts, birthdays, and vistors....We've been blasting away at the month of June! 

We celebrated Priya and Amy's (my sister-in-law) birthday on June 14th. I remember three years ago, I was buying raspberries for Amy's cheesecake while shopping in Montrose, when I all the sudden felt like I was going to have a baby in the produce section...we rushed home, followed closely by our midwives, (a normally 2 hour drive...in about 1 hour) and about and hour after that...there was the prettiest little baby girl ever born. Amy had brought milkshakes for the midwives. I told her to stick around a few more minutes so she could see the birth...She got a niece for her birthday and I got to eat raspberry cheesecake as part of my recovery.

Our dear friend, Monica, came to visit for a week. We went to two concerts, on two hikes, two swims in the ice-cold river. We almost summitted Uncompahgre, but ran into the worst non-hurricane wind I've ever experienced. With ice fields and a four-year old, we decided to try later in the summer. (you can see the wind inflating my pants and about to blow Silas off the face of the world in the photos.)

Bag Lady

Christian and I often feel that Lake City is a little too homogenous to suit us. There is little to none ethnic, cultural, linguistic, economic, racial diversity. ....except that one bi-racial guy, who by the way, we brought to town from West Virginia! and...that one girl with dreads, who happens to be my good friend, ...and two Italians, one Mexican, two Germans, and one Irishman, who is married to that gal with the dreads. 

Well, we're not going to be eating at a Sushi place or an Ethiopian restaurant anytime soon, but I am happy to report that Lake City has at least one bag lady. I saw her on my alley today, all wrapped up in her winter clothes, pushing her treasures around. She had a pet chicken.

One

One year ago on May 16, Levi was born. I had eaten a huge yummy meal, drank a little wine, debated about calling the midwife, decided I should, crawled into the tub, and an hour or so after that had a nine pound sweet boy. He has been a constant joy to all of us. 

The night of his birthday, he started sleeping through the night. (Some of you are thinking doesn't that happen at 8 weeks? But, my others were closer to 16 months). The next day, he started really walking AND cut his first tooth. He's been using the potty since 11 months, but is now going every time I put him on! I'm sleeping more and washing less diapers and carrying him a little less. Yeah, for ONE!

***Yes, the last photo looks more like a picture from a 21st birthday than a 1st, but I had to share the "cake drunk" look with you.

We go together like...

I have many events about which to post: our trip to Alabama, our growing flock of chickens, Levi's first birthday. However, I'll put those off a few more days. Tonight I'm in the mood for a food post. Christian and I recently watched Julie and Julia, which I found to be an entertaining and thoughtful movie that also induced a serious case of the munchies! 

I was struck by the line Julia spoke to her husband, "You're the butter to my bread."

Now, I don't eat bread (I've discovered my body doesn't happily metabolize refined carbs) and very seldom eat butter, but I immediately thought of other food combinations that characterize marital intimacy. And, I also wondered what food combos you might relish (we're talking food pairs...one, two, period.)

Here is what I might say instead, "You are the chocolate to my coffee; the cheese to my eggs; the brie to my blackberries; and the basil to my tomatoes (please note I mean only homegrown basil and tomatoes); the olive oil to my garlic..."

I made a cake for Levi's birthday tonight that was layered: one vanilla layer, one chocolate, with cinnamon cream cheese icing and a cinnamon stencil on top. (Priya "assisted" me.) So, I'll have to add chocolate and cinnamon to my list of favorite combos. 

So, how about you? What two food items do you think can't live without one another?

Jeepers creepers

Where'd you get them peepers?