Dinner in the Country

Wow, how times have changed.  We used to be a meat and potatoes type of family for so many years.  I mean, it was all about the meatloaf and the scalloped potatoes, the pot roast and the hashbrown casserole, the t-bone and the french fires, the bean and beef burritos....ya see what I mean?  Man Nowadays I absolutely hate planning a meal no matter what occasion.

You see about three years ago I became a vegetarian.  No big deal I always and still do today basically fix two meals, one for Jon and one for me.  I fix Jon a steak and a salad and I have a salad not a huge undertaking.

Now Ashley loves the potato part, not so much the meat but she will eat a baked potato, mashed poatato, potato casserole etc and she will not complain, not even a bit.

Then add Aaron who not only dislikes but hates cilantro.  I mean who the hell hates Cilantro its an herb for Christ sake Aaron.  None the less Aaron hates it, doesn't speak to it, didn't even invite it to the wedding, that's how strongly he feels.  Okay so no Cilantro, got it.  I wont even mention that Aaron is not overly found of pasta....really?

Then take Tony's world, that pretty much revolves around bacon.  Basically if I can find any disgusting food and wrap a piece of fried pork fat around it, Tony would not only eat it, but love it. So I  got it..... No Cilantro, pasta is iffy, lots of bacon, meat and potatoes for Jon....I got it.

Challenging enough right?  Then add Jill who enjoys a gluten free diet.  Okay before Aaron starting dating Jill I thought gluten was a type of chicken, sweet Jesus!  So originally gluten free was no bread, no crackers, no pretzels, no cookies (basically no fun).  Low and behold so many food items have gluten in them and I had no idea.  What I have learned is  that if a product is able to print gluten free on the label...they can charge twice as much and I can pass them my credit card with a smile on my face knowing I am taking great care in planning my menu!  So I seriously have it no cilantro, lots of bacon, pasta ....maybe, no cookies, special gravy and meat for Jon. Mary Mother of God I GOT IT.

THEN Tony introduces us to his girlfriend Lisa, who is also a strict vegetarian AND she is from Boulder so...she MEANS it.  So know I have learned there are different types of Boca Burgers some with meat by products some with gluten products and the only place I can get a damn Boca Burger that pleases everyone is Denver.

Of course we have to add Eli in the mix.  His requests always include dino nuggets and/or mac and cheese.  So just add it okay?  I really don't care whata anyone else is eating.

So basically, here we are happy as clams, living in the country with a freezer full of organic grass fed beef, organic chicken and frozen pastries from school fund raising functions that no one will eat.  Okay I am not even complaining, the only thing I am gonna say is next Thanksgiving....we are eating out or the next dinner menu will only be serving Bloody Mary's!!

Back by demand

Back by request the Gardens, Goats and Grand kids blog has returned.  It has been over a year since my last post and I can't even begin to describe a life in the year out here in the country.  I can only reiterate this life is a crazy, sad, exciting, joyful and memorable journey.

During the past year I said goodbye to those I love, gained new family members, sat at countless celebration dinners, and unforgettable dinners for no reason at all. I have fallen even more in love with my husband and learned that I can love my children more than life and now just sit back and enjoy their wonderful accomplishments.  I started new country projects and even managed to finish some old ones.   We had more and more baby goats and I cried when we sold goats.  I have had the privilege of being a part of my grandsons life and seeing him nearly every day. I reconnected with old friends and made new friends, went way out of my comfort zone  and have been lucky enough to surround myself with those who provide me with great peace and comfort, and finally after 4 years of living in the country and after of this runnin, feel like I'm finally comin....home.

I know, I know this is not my usual sarcastic, weird country humor but I can assure you I have a list a mile long that I have been waiting to write about so I won't disappoint you twisted individuals who love to laugh along with me....or at me, which ever you prefer.

In June of this year Jon said goodbye to his mother and my mother-in-law, Arla.  I find myself stopping randomly in the middle of a task for no apparent reason and just thinking how permanent this really is.  She is gone now until I get to see her again but I can tell you her spirit surrounds us out here in the country.  Every time I see a new purple flower blooming in the garden it reminds me of her and every time I get her handwritten recipe out for Jon's favorite raisin pie I can almost see her rolling out the pie crust dough by hand.  When Jon stops working to tell little Eli  it's all going to be okay I see her gentle and soft spoken word connecting to us all.  I will always remember her as giving me the disease of loving everything old.  She told me once. "Don't worry so much about it being  a bargain.  If you love it and you have the opportunity to buy it, it's a steal".  Much to Jon's dismay I have used this advice for years and still do today.   We are excited to be working on a beautiful garden/patio area at our place that will be called Grandma's Garden and dedicated to Grandma Arla complete with firepit, a reading bench and reflection pond.  It will be a perfect place for us to honor her memory.  Arla also told me several months ago I really should keep writing "the Internet story", she enjoyed it so I am taking her advice.

We also said good bye to a wonderful building contractor and someone we considered a friend when Dave Balderston passed away in May.  He was a very reputable and busy man but that never prevented him from stopping what he was doing to show Jon how to cut an angle or set a stair post.  We think about him often as we look around the beautiful remodel projects he completed in our home.  Jon and I have adopted his phrase, "Beautiful Brush, Colorado". 

In July we were overjoyed to welcome our first daughter-in-law into our family.  Jill is a precious addition to our family and we all have fallen in love with her.  The two of them had a wonderful and special ceremony, a great honeymoon and now seem to be settling in to life as a married couple.  As I told Jill it was difficult for this recovering control freak to stay out of every detail about the wedding but she had every last detail covered is still speaking to me afterward....which is a great thing!

Last week my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage with a wonderful western themed dinner and dance.  It was great to have so many friends and family near to help us honor these two people we all love.  Last week at work I had to fill out a cheesy survey and one of the questions was who is your hero?  My answer has always been (okay maybe not when I was 15) and will always be my parents.  Not only are they my heros but they continue to serve as role models for me as a way I would like to live my life.

We celebrated milestone birthday parties, and holidays and work promotions and new jobs, and graduations and Air Force appointments and nursing school acceptance  We watched the Broncos win....and lose.  We watched Tim Tebow come.... and go.  Last week Jon celebrated 30 years at PepsiCo - holy cow!  We watched our garden shrivel as only about 1 inch of rain came down from the sky for the entire summer!  We talked ourselves into buying a horse, we talked ourselves out of it.  Like I said, it has been a journey.....

And so, stay tuned, the blog begins again.