Mmm

Isn't this a fancy breakfast? Thomas made it.

Artichoke

Thomas had never eaten an artichoke before, so Gina cooked one yesterday. We forgot to take a picture before we ate it.
The remains. Winnie was fascinated by this tasty new vegetable.

Wilderness Adventure

Today we decided to go for a walk at a local park. In 4 years of living at her house, Gina never knew that this great place was only 10 minutes away. There are lots of trails to choose from, so we started out with the very ambitious 1/2 mile schoolhouse loop. We don't think we'll ever try to hike with 3 dogs again. Too much yanking. Note Gina's left arm.

The old schoolhouse from back in the olden days.
Thomas and his friend Winston.
Bella triumphant.

Our Hairy Baby

Winnie likes being wrapped up in a soft blanket like a little baby.

Our little carrot

We knew the carrots in the garden weren't ready yet, but we decided to yank one up anyway to see what it looked like. Turns out it just looks like a tiny carrot. Winnie is a real vegetable enthusiast, so he had to have a peek too.

Chocolate Truffles

Tonight's project - we'll let you know how they turn out.
They turned out great! Next time we're going to use a different recipe, though. It's really hard to roll them into balls because they melt all over your hands and make a big mess.
A chocolate one
A coconut one

Recipe: bring 6 oz heavy cream to a boil. Pour it over 10 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir until smooth then add 2 T butter. Add 2-3 T brandy if desired. Strain the mixture into a bowl and chill overnight. The next day, form the chocolate into balls and roll them in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, ground hazelnuts, or coconut. Boom.

Operation Stinky Dogs

It was time for a bath around here. We had some smelly dogs. Winnie was first.
Then Delphi. She cheerfully endured a good hour of clipping with scissors and the trimmer before her bath. Here's her flirty new summer hairdo.
And the hair she left behind
No pictures of Bella because she doesn't look that funny after a bath. But she is shiny and clean and beautiful too.

Peas

Medevial Banquet

Here's one of our favorite recipes. Crushing the fennel seeds with a heavy pan doesn't really work; we put the seeds in a ziploc bag and bash them with a meat tenderizer. Also, try putting the veggies in the oven a half-hour before adding the meat. Sometimes they take longer to cook.

Smoky

We're having interesting weather here today. The air smells like burnt toast.

Pocket Pet

Thomas has always wanted a little tiny dog he could carry around in a purse.

Erika's Yummy Crock Pot Chicken

We made Erika's famous chicken yesterday, and it turned out great. The last time Gina cooked something in the crock pot, it was not good. You can ask Thomas and Daniel about the goulash she made in Columbia.Daniel: please note that we attributed the chicken recipe correctly and did not claim it as our own.

Question

Thomas: Do you think it is dumb to take pictures of something on the tv and put them up on the blog?
Gina: No, I don't think it's dumb at all. You love sports. Anyways we have to post something up there.

Euro 2008 - Germany vs. Poland

German fans displaying the German colors
Arial shot of the stadium before the game started in Klagenfurt, Austria
Gina, feeling confident, wearing her Germany shirt from the 2006 World Cup
First goal sequence

GOAL!

The second goal sealed the deal!

Interestingly both goals were scored by Lukas Podolski, who was born in Poland. The other German in the picture, Miroslav Klose, was also born in Poland; he set up that goal with a beautiful assist.

Ice Water, Spider and Winnie

Flower

Check out this flower from the yard

Change of plans

Gina decided today to make a new recipe that called for canned salmon. But when she opened the can, the salmon looked like this: Yes that's right, that's the skin and bones and the spinal cord and the guts. Here, look closer. Click to enlarge.
So on to plan B. Pasta and tomato sauce.

Great Workout

By some miracle of technology, Wii machines can connect to each other across the country for competitions. Last night we had a great time racing Mario Karts against Daniel and Elizabeth. Just for the record, Thomas won.

Look who showed up this morning, dancing around in Thomas' Wii Fit step aerobics class!
Gina made an appearance too, over on the far left.

Spiedini

This is a great recipe for chicken and zucchini kebabs. You just grill the chicken and zucchini then serve with the salsa, which is delicious. Quick, healthy, and cheap to make (especially later this summer, when our squash and zucchini grow). We omitted the garlic in the salsa because we think raw garlic tastes nasty.