Days 159-161: Dining out in Leominster

I'm almost half way through this journey and I may be experiencing "writer's block."  "Cooker's block?"  "Recipe block?"  Anyway, part of me blames the changing of the season.  New seasons generally bring a lot of ambition for me--new season, new produce, new tastes, new recipes.  But with summer, even though a lot of that feeling is there still, there is also a feeling of "I don't want to turn the oven on" or "I just want to stay outside as long as possible."  We don't own a grill, so I "grill" inside.  And sometimes with summer, I'm so anxious for it to come that I start making summer recipes early (during spring) in anticipation of summer.  So then by the time summer is really here, I'm sick of 'em already.  Alas, what's a girl to do?

Go out!  :)

Yeah, we did a little of that this weekend.  I did have a small catering gig on Sunday, but I wasn't able to take pictures because my morning was a little rushed.  I had to bring the food to the church, and I had a meeting after church, so we were planning on going to the second service (starting at 10:30).  At about 8:30, it suddenly dawned on me that I was supposed to work in the nursery at the 9:00 service!!!  My darling husband went in my place, so I lost the helping hand I thought I would have.  Everything still got done, however, and my children and I made it to church on time for the 10:30 service--each looking darling in our own church clothes. ;)  In case you're wondering, the catering menu featured buttermilk baked chicken, potato salad, garden salad, homemade bread, and fruit crumble with ice cream for dessert.

I wanted to quickly give a "shout-out" to a neat little restaurant in downtown Leominster that Randy took me to Saturday night, Rye & Thyme.  It's a very nice restaurant with an entire menu dedicated to locally brewed beer.  Of course they have a nice selection of bourbon and rye.  The menu includes classic American eats and features a raw bar--Randy and I split an order of 6 oysters. :)  It's a great little place with outdoor seating which you should totally check out the next time you're in the area!

Beer/shot combos--allagash white and allagash black.  The whiskey WAS in the shot glasses.

So, that pretty much covers days 159-161.  Friday we had leftovers and the rest of the weekend we dined out.  But this week I've got some new recipes planned, and hopefully can find the time to publish them--will be hitting the beach pretty hard this week!  :)  Here's to hoping I find some culinary inspiration along the way!  Have a great week!

Anniversary Dinner (feat. Homemade Strawberry Shortcake) Days 155, 156, 157, 158

Engagement: September, 2009--going to see U2!

Randy and I have been married 4 years today.  We have 2 kids, ages 2 (close to 3) and 1.  We're pretty busy.  We'll go out this weekend for a real celebration (our "rule" is he plans the even year anniversaries and I plan the odds, so it's his turn).  Tonight, I will still make a "special" dinner, though.  We saved a bottle of wine from Sonoma (read about that trip here) and I'll make one of his favorite desserts, strawberry shortcake.  (Recipe will follow.)

First, here's a recap of our week's meals so far:

Monday (Day 155): steak tips, rice pilaf, spicy roasted summer vegetables

Tuesday (Day 156): beer-marinated grilled chicken, green beans, French potato salad.  Also, check out my step-by-step guide to Eggs Benedict that I made Tuesday morning!






Wednesday (Day 157): Outdoor Taco Night!!!

Thursday, June 26, 2014 (Day 158)
Happy Anniversary Dinner

Randy and I brought back 2 bottles of wine from Sonoma Valley.  We opened the bottle of white on my last day of school, so I knew I had to plan a dinner tonight that would go with the red bottle.  Because this is Randy's year to plan a celebration and we're going out this weekend, I didn't want to "steal his thunder" by making an over-the-top meal, but I did want to do a little something special.  For dinner, I prepared pulled pork ragu over fettuccine.  I served this with a green salad and bruschetta (coincidentally the same link).  It went great with our red wine!  For dessert, I wanted to prepare something simple (Randy still had to go to his second job after dinner) that would incorporate fruit.  Since we just went strawberry picking, I decided to make homemade strawberry shortcake (which is easier than it sounds), one of Randy's favorite desserts.  My recipe includes an almond twist...

Homemade Strawberry Shortcake (makes 4 jumbo shortcakes)
Traditionally, this dessert is not incredibly sweet.  The shortcake is not bland, but it is subtle and not sweet or cake-like.  It should absorb the juice and flavor of the strawberries (the star of the dish).  The whipped cream adds a little sweetness and offsets the tartness of the strawberries.  Randy has a little sweet tooth, but not like his wife.  I'm a Swede.  This is not my favorite dessert.  I need the sweetness.  So I came up with a Swedish compromise.  I added almond extract to the shortcake and the whipped cream for a subtle hint of added flavor and sweetness.  It was adored by all!  (Except Noah, who boycotts all berries or anything that has touched a berry.  We're not 100% sure he's ours.)

4-5 cups halved strawberries
5 TB sugar (divided)
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp almond extract

Sprinkle 2 TB of the sugar over the strawberries and let them sit in the refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400*.  Sift together the flour, 3 TB sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Combine the heavy cream and almond extract.  Stir into the dry ingredients until a dough forms.  Divide the dough into 4 large rounds.  Place each round on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Baking for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and baked through.  Once cooled slightly, slice rounds in half horizontally.  Pile 1/4 of the strawberries onto each bottom round and let the strawberry juice soak in.  Cover with the top round.  Scoop homemade almond whipped cream on top.  Garnish with shaved almonds or mint leaves if desired.

Present: June, 2014

Almond Whipped Cream
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

With an electric hand mixer, whip the ingredients until soft peaks form.  You may store the any leftover cream in the refrigerator for 48 hours.  You may want to whip it again right before serving a second time.




This dessert is great because the shortcakes can bake during dinner and the whipped cream only takes minutes to make--you can make it right after dinner while your family or guests digest a little.  :)
Randy (sharing a jumbo shortcake with Abby):"I love the bottom part with the soaked up strawberry juice!"
Abby:"I love the cream!!!  The cream is so good."
Randy:"Abby, stop eating all the cream!"

Packing up from our most recent photo shoot with the family.

Eggs Benedict (Day 156)

Can you tell I'm done with school?  I love breakfast food.  I love making breakfast for my family!  I love sending Randy to work with a good, hearty, warm breakfast in his belly.  I don't even mind the clean-up afterward.  This is how I spend my summer vacations... making breakfasts.  (Remind me to tell you about the time I made apple fritters cooked in bacon fat!--Yeah, it's that wanna-be-Southern-cooking-girl thing, again.)  Eggs Benedict (apparently named after a guy in search for a hang-over cure) is a delicious breakfast!  It can be kind of intimidating, however.  There's a lot going on in this dish and it sort of needs to happen at once if you want to serve a warm breakfast.  So let me attempt to break it down and simplify it for you.  First, let's gather all of our supplies:

1. Food processor for Hollandaise sauce

2. Small saucepan with simmering water for the eggs

3. Skillet for the Canadian bacon

Now that we have the majority of our equipment, let's talk about ingredients.  Eggs Benedict includes:

1. English muffins (toasted)

2. Eggs (poached)

3. Bacon or Canadian bacon ("warmed" or slightly grilled)

Then there's the Hollandaise sauce.  I'll walk you through that, as well, then type the recipe at the end of this post.  But first, let's toast those English muffins and grill the bacon so we're ready for the eggs and sauce.

For the Hollandaise sauce, melt 2 sticks of butter.

In the bowl of a food processor, drop 3 egg yolks and the juices of 2 lemons.

Whip together until well combined.

Drizzle in the melted butter, and add a dash of salt and cayenne pepper.  Process again.

Set the sauce aside and poach 4 eggs.  To poach an egg, gently crack it into lightly bubbling (simmering) water.  Don't play with the egg too much!  You may need a slotted spoon to help roll the egg and keep it together, but you don't want to irritate the egg while it's cooking or it may fall apart.  You also don't want the water too hot, or the egg will fall apart also.  Let it cook for about 2 or 2 1/2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on the bacon.

Here's what happens when the egg starts to fall apart--you can kind of see the yolk, which is not good!

That's better.

See the difference?

Now THAT is a nice-looking poached egg!  It's just missing the sauce!

After pouring the sauce on top, sprinkle with paprika.  Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict (reader-friendly recipe)

2 English muffins, halved, toasted, and buttered

4 pieces of Canadian bacon, warmed

4 eggs, poached

3 egg yolks

juice of 2 lemons

2 sticks of butter, melted

dash of salt

dash of cayenne

dash of paprika

In the bowl of a food processor, process the egg yolks and lemon juice until well-combined.  Drizzle in the melted butter, and add the salt and cayenne and whip again.  Set the sauce aside.

Poach each egg separately by gently dropping in slightly bubbling water and cooking for 2 minutes.  Assemble by layering half of an English muffin, the Canadian bacon, an egg, and some Hollandaise sauce.  Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

There's the stuff!  Delish!

Pizza Weekend! (Days 152-154)

It was a weekend of pizzas!  And not all from scratch.  Nope.  I used A LOT of help from my good friends at Pillsbury. ;) 
We started the weekend by hitting up Pizza Hut--a little "celebration" of my last day of school!  That would be Day 152.
Saturday we had a high school graduation party in the family.  I was asked to bring fruit pizzas--which are simple and delicious!  Here's the recipe:

Fruit Pizza
For the crust:
Pillsbury sugar cookie dough.  (yep!)

For the filling: (same recipe as the gluten-free fruit tarts I made in May)
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 TB honey
1 TB apricot preserves
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 TB milk

Fruit: strawberries, kiwis, grapes, blueberries

Slice the roll of sugar cookie dough and arrange in a circle or rectangle (depending on your pan) on a baking sheet.  Either with a rolling pin or your palms, press the dough so it all comes together as one crust.  Bake according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, slice the strawberries, kiwis, and halve the grapes.  With an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients for the filling.
When the crust comes out of the oven, let it cool completely.  Then spread the filling over the top and arrange the fruit however you like.

You can find a few more of my designs here.

On Sunday (Day 154), I made a Pampered Chef pizza recipe which also utilizes the help of Pillsbury.  Normally, I would make my own pizza crust (which totally works for this recipe), but I just didn't have time this weekend!  This pizza is healthy, delicious, and very simple to make!  Here is a 3-Cheese Garden Pizza.

3-Cheese Garden Pizza
1 roll of Pillsbury pizza crust
2 cups "3-cheese pizza blend" shredded cheese (They sell packages of this, or you could also shred your own cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses to use.)
1 zucchini, sliced
5 small white mushrooms, sliced
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
approx. 1 tsp. each of: dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley
1-2 TB olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced

Roll out the pizza dough onto your baking sheet.  Preheat the oven to 375*.  Mix the olive oil and minced garlic.  Spread on the dough and bake for about 7-8 minutes.  When the dough comes out, arrange the sliced vegetables on top.  In a bowl, combine the cheeses and the dried herbs.  Sprinkle this mixture over the vegetables.  Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until all of the cheese is melted.  (I made 2 pizzas: one with onions and one without!) 

I served this with my broccoli salad and vegan brownies.  Yum!

Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (in case you missed 'em the first time!)

I am not vegan, and nor do I ever plan to be.  But I think it's a good thing to try new recipes and expand my repertoire.  What I sometimes find difficult about making specialty recipes is the ingredients--they can be so hard to find unless you live near a specialty food store.  I don't have the time to "shop around" for specific, obscure ingredients.  Maybe I will someday.  But right now, with 2 little ones in tow, if it's not at my Hannaford or Market Basket, I'm probably not going to buy it.  So I took a recipe for vegan chocolate brownies and altered it--using only easy-to-find ingredients and adding peanut butter!  Who doesn't love a chocolate-peanut butter combo?!?!  :)

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (No Bake!)
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup organic, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups dates
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 - 2 tsps vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Process the peanuts in a food processor until fine.

Add the seeds and dates and process until fine and sticky.  Add the powder, vanilla, and salt and pulse until combined.  Evenly press the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Place in the freezer while you make the peanut-butter sauce or for 10 minutes.  Remove from freezer and pour the peanut butter sauce (recipe follows) over the brownies.  Return to the freezer for 20 more minutes.  (Overnight is fine, too.)  Remove from freezer and cut into squares. 

Bethany's Peanut-Butter Sauce (vegan)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup vegetable/soybean oil
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
1/4 cup almond milk (plain milk is fine if you're not making a vegan version)
1 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and vegetable oil over medium-low heat.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the peanut butter and almond milk.  Continue to whisk and cook for another minute or until all incorporated.  Remove from heat, add the vanilla and stir. 

Vegan Enchiladas & Brownies (recap Days 148-151)

Confession: I haven't felt like working on my blog AT ALL the past few days.  I haven't even felt like cooking or taking pictures!  Do you ever go through specific "modes" or "moods" in life?  I'm in an organizing/cleaning/packing mode.  At least during the day at school.  I just packed up my classroom (I had to switch rooms with another teacher in preparation for the new classroom arrangement for next year) and brought several things home.  I love to organize so I thoroughly enjoyed sifting through papers, separating items, deciding what I keep, what I toss, and what gets passed to my aunt who will start her first year teaching in the fall.  I know, I sound crazy.  I'm well aware that organizing is not a commonly loved activity.  I only wish this stamina would carry itself home.  It's been so beautiful out that I cleaned out our fairly large kiddie pool and filled it.  Now, the first thing I do when I get home with the kids is put on their swimsuits, hand them a freeze-pop, and stick 'em in the pool.  I sit with my feet in and a magazine in hand.  It's bliss!  Randy has also had the past couple weeks off from his night job, so we've had our evenings together.  We're spending that time watching "Lost" on Netflix and drinking wine.  So the time I normally spend folding clothes, organizing the house, writing my blog, and washing dishes, is now spent sitting on the couch.  Needless to say, things are piling up.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the time I'm spending with my husband and children! But with the last day of school tomorrow, I'm hoping that I can keep up my organizing craze and start packing up the house once school is out.  We're supposed to sign our P & S agreement for the new house tomorrow and I will take that as my "greenlight" to start the slow process of organizing and packing.  I am actually giddy at the thought of tossing/donating a whole bunch of stuff!

But back to the actual reason for this blog: food.  My cousin's fiancée just had a baby and they live a few streets away from us.  I wanted to bring them a meal and Jodi is vegan, so I needed to do a little research, first.  I found a recipe for Vegan Enchiladas which I thought would go great with my homemade guacamole.  I think every new mom deserves a sweet reward to help get through those sleepless nights, so I also made Vegan No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies.  But before I get to those recipes, let me catch you up on our week of dinners.

Day 148 (Monday): good ol' spaghetti and meatballs!

Day 149 (Tuesday): I made a big salad for Randy and I with some leftover chicken from Sunday.  We also shared a pizza with the kids.

Day 150 (Wednesday): salmon salad and an arugula salad with a homemade lemon vinaigrette, fresh parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper.  I only ate the arugula salad and it was so tasty! 

And then there's today (Day 151-Thursday).  When I got home from school, I made the guacamole and the avocado sauce for the enchiladas.  I had already made the enchiladas and brownies the night before.  Abby and I walked down to my cousin's house to meet their beautiful baby!  Here are the recipes:

Vegan Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce
I got this recipe from a vegan blog (http://ohsheglows.com/) that was recommended to me by a co-worker.  The original recipe called for black beans and I used pinto instead.  Also, it gave a choice between using a sweet potato or a zucchini and I used both since I doubled the recipe so my family could try them also.  Instead of doubling the enchilada sauce, I used both enchilada sauce and tomato sauce.  Tomato sauce is cheaper than enchilada sauce, and it allows you to control the seasonings.  I added chipotle chili powder to mine for a more smoky flavor.  This is the single recipe and it makes 4 enchiladas.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 sweet potato (or zucchini), chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 handful of spinach, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans, drained
1 32 oz can of enchilada sauce
cumin, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, chili powder--all to taste
4 whole grain tortilla wraps
creamy avocado sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Pre-cook the chopped sweet potato/zuchini  by boiling in water for just a few minutes.  In a large skillet, cook the onions over medium/medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Now add the sweet potato, spinach, pepper, and drained beans.  Cook for 5-7 minutes.  Add the enchilada sauce and seasonings to taste.  Stir well.
Ladle a thin layer of sauce on the baking sheet.  Then fill each tortilla wrap with about 1 cup of the mixture and place them seam-side down on or in the pan (whatever you are using).  Complete each enchilada and the pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Serve with creamy avocado sauce.

Creamy Avocado/Cilantro Sauce
1-2 avocados (depending on size)
2 TB of water
2 TB lime juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh cilantro
salt, garlic powder, cumin, pepper--all to taste

Combine ingredients in the food processor and process until creamy.  Spread over baked enchiladas.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (No Bake!)
At first, I looked at a recipe from the same blog for Two-Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies.  However, I couldn't find all of the ingredients for the homemade vegan chocolate sauce, so I decided to change it to a vegan peanut-butter sauce, which led me to swap out the walnuts in the brownie for peanuts.  I also couldn't find raw cacao nibs, so I didn't use them.  I used a tad more cocoa powder.  Here's my (slightly more "user-friendly") recipe.

1 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup organic, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups dates
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Process the peanuts in a food processor until fine.  Add the seeds and dates and process until fine and sticky.  Add the powder, vanilla, and salt and pulse until combined.  Evenly press the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Place in the freezer while you make the peanut-butter sauce or for 10 minutes.  Remove from freezer and pour the peanut butter sauce (recipe follows) over the brownies.  Return to the freezer for 20 more minutes.  (Overnight is fine, too.)  Remove from freezer and cut into squares.  These are so delicious!  I will most likely make more for myself soon!

Bethany's Peanut-Butter Sauce (vegan)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup vegetable/soybean oil
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
1/4 cup almond milk (plain milk is fine if you're not making a vegan version)
1 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and vegetable oil over medium-low heat.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the peanut butter and almond milk.  Continue to whisk and cook for another minute or until all incorporated.  Remove from heat, add the vanilla and stir. 

I actually sprinkled finely chopped peanuts on top, but forgot to sprinkle them on before I took the picture!

Days 145, 146, 147: A Father's Day Post

Here's our weekend in meals!  Real quick, I'll recap that on Friday night I went out with a girlfriend and Randy and the kids finished up the chicken and broccoli alfredo lasagna.  Saturday night (Day 146) we had my classic burgers--always so delicious and both kids gobble 'em right up!  So that brings us to today, Sunday, Father's Day, AND... my mother's birthday.  Oh yeah, it was also Abby's first gymnastics "performance."  Phew!  Lots of goings-on for our family today.

I don't consider my dad a very picky eater (I don't really consider my mom "picky", either, but I'd say that she'd be more likely to have a meal preference most often) so I planned a noon-time dinner with my mother in mind.  I wanted something fresh, summery, and flavorful!  She's also getting into Mediterranean flavors, so I made a tomato-feta "bruschetta" for an appetizer.  On the menu: roasted chicken, French potato salad, crisp-lemon vegetables, and strawberry pie with ice cream for dessert.  (*Note: my mom is allergic to chocolate and said she didn't want a birthday cake--hence the "birthday" pie for dessert.)

Tomato-Feta Bruschetta
Randy bought me a Mediterranean Cooking cookbook some time ago and I bought the same book for my mom's birthday.  The idea for this appetizer came from that book.

French bread
olive oil
1-2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1-2 minced garlic cloves (I used garlic powder since neither of my parents love garlic like Randy and I do!)
4 oz feta cheese
2-4 TB fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
salt, pepper--to taste

Thickly slice the French bread on a diagonal and then halve the slices.  You want about 8-10 halves in the end.  Drizzle them with olive oil and bake at 400* for about 15 minutes.  Or, you can just put them under the broiler for a few minutes, just keep a good eye on them!  Sprinkle with minced garlic or garlic powder.  Evenly distribute the tomato pieces, crumbled feta, and chopped oregano onto the baguette slices.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

You can find my recipe for a perfect roasted chicken here.  Today I left out the parsley and rosemary and went heavier on the lemon and thyme flavors in an attempt to achieve a more lemony chicken.

French Potato Salad
I feel like there's a lot to this salad.  More than a classic potato salad, that is.  But it's much lighter than the traditional mayonnaise-coated potato salad and I figured my mom would prefer it.  I believe it was Julia Child who introduced this recipe to her fans, and I've also seen it in Ina Garten's cookbooks.  Mine is only slightly different, but the same idea.  

2-3 lbs of potatoes (I used a combination of red and white)

2 TB white wine
2 TB chicken stock
3-4 TB champagne vinegar
1/2 -1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 TB fresh dill, finely chopped
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped
salt, pepper

Wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water for about 20-30 minutes, or until just cooked through.  Then drain them and place the colander back over the pot and cover them with a towel to steam for another 10 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and toss them with the white wine and chicken stock. Let the warm potatoes soak up the flavor of the liquid while you prepare the rest of the dressing.  Mix the dijon mustard, champagne vinegar, and olive oil.  Pour over the potatoes and sprinkle in the scallions, dill, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crisp-Lemon Vegetables
I call these vegetables "crisp" because they're raw (mostly).  I think this is a fun, summer salad with vegetables you can easily cook, but also serve raw.  I make a very basic lemon vinaigrette as a dressing.  Sorry for not having exact measurements on the green beans or snowpeas--when I'm at the grocery store, I just grab, so I'm making my best guesses...

2 handfuls of green beans, washed and trimmed (1/2 lb?)
2 handfuls of snow peas, washed and trimmed (1/3 lb?)
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper

Blanch the green beans in boiling water for a few minutes, then drop them into ice water to stop the cooking.  Combine the green beans, snow peas, and peppers.  Mix the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Happy Father's Day!

I love my dad!  He is probably one of the wisest men I know.  He's very good at analyzing a situation and determining the best course of action.  OR, at reflecting on a situation and quickly saying what he would've done different and why.  My father would probably say that right now he's going through some spiritual and character alterations and growth, but I've always seen him as incredibly spiritually mature, founded, and wise.  He is very good at defending his beliefs but is always gentle and respectful about it. (1 Peter 3:15)  These are things I've quietly noticed while having the privilege of being his daughter.  Besides this, here are a few other things I've learned from my father:
1) How to explain things.  I consider myself pretty well-spoken and articulate.  People tell me this about myself often.  I attribute it to my dad.  Perhaps I didn't so much learn it from him as inherit it, but either way, it's a trait he passed on to me.

Dad singing a song he wrote for my brother at my Noah's dedication

2) How to drive.  My mom and I were subject to the near-fatal mother-daughter driving tension when I was a teenager.  Hence, my father taught me how to drive.  I also have somewhat of a "lead foot".  So does he... ;)
3) How to appreciate music--real music, good music.  I am definitely not as much of a music "snob" as he is, but most of my opinions about music come from my father.  He's a musician and I (used to) play the piano.  Unfortunately, I can't sing a note, unlike him.  But, oh well.  By the way, Dad, I'm pretty sure I still have some of your CDs...
4) That it's OK to goof around in the house as long as Mom's not home.  (Isn't that what all the best dads do?)
5) How to admit when I'm wrong or have made a mistake.  This goes back to the whole wisdom-thing, I think.  I wouldn't say that he's been wrong often, but I can recall plenty of times when he has "swallowed his pride" and nodded in agreement with something he originally thought was wrong.

Grampy and Abby (2012)

6) How to make and launch a model rocket (though I couldn't do it by myself now).  And how to be brave on a roller coaster.  That's right, I still remember how he sat with my little brother instead of me because he was crying or something.  My first time on a roller coaster and I had to sit by myself!  I still love 'em (and him) though...
7) How to appreciate good, in-season fruit.  My dad loves fruit, especially berries.  I tried plums because of him, peaches because of him, and raspberries, and blackberries, too.  So as much as the strawberry pie I made today was for my mom, it was also for my dad.  Happy Father's Day dad, I love you!

Strawberry Pie
Strawberries came late this season, and the strawberry-rhubarb peaks did not coincide.  I looked around for rhubarb, but had to decide to make a plain strawberry pie.  I wasn't sure of it and didn't look at a recipe, so I was a little nervous.  Besides the fact that it turned out juicy (which I suppose I could've added more cornstarch or even strawberry gelatin to fix), it was pretty yummy!  I did end up draining the juices before slicing into it.  I'll share the recipe when I've perfected it a little more. ;)  I have a basic crust recipe that is fool-proof, but it's the filling I will be experimenting with.  For now, I'll enjoy the trial-and-error process!

By the way, there's another man in my life who is a father and deserves some recognition today.  My husband, Randy, is an incredible father.  I am certain that one day our children will all say the same about him.  He is currently playing "hide-and-seek" with Abby while I write this blog.  He wouldn't say that being a dad came all that naturally to him when Abby was an infant.  But he's had 2 1/2 years of experience at this point, and he couldn't look more natural in the role!  Randy is a phenomenal husband and a wonderful father.  I love our family and I love him with all my heart!