Back to School

Boy #1 started kindergarten this week. He seems to love his teacher and his class. Going to school is not new for him since he went to preschool for 3 years prior to kindergarten. We are both loving our new schedule and I hope he continues to enjoy school, since he will be there for a long time.

Summer Hike

Today we took a 4 mile hike and although it was harder than expected it was fun. The boys did a really great job and never complained. They sure earned the cookies and brownies we ate afterwards.

Our fearless leader on the trail

Boy #2 has the cushy spot in the backpack

View from the trail


We made it to the falls and the boys played in the water

Boy #1 found a great hiking stick along the way

Wilco

An outdoor amphitheater is the best setting for a summer concert. We were lucky enough to get tickets to Wilco before they sold out. If anyone has ever wondered where my blog title comes from, I will tell you. I enjoy song lyrics that have a play on words and one of the lines in Wilco's song Misunderstood is "short on long term goals". So now you know. Below is a clip of Wilco performing Misunderstood, but they didn't play it at our concert. Although they played 2 + hours of great music in a great setting.

The End is in Sight

After a week of tiling, running out of thin set, tiling some more, grouting, and cleaning, we are almost finished with the tile project. Now we just need to replace the base boards, seal the grout, and eventually replace the fixtures in the bathroom. Here are some images of the new tile that I love!


The bathroom, maybe it will be usable in a few months

The entry and hallway after grouting

A Room with a View

Thanks to the English Department, we enjoyed a pleasant, yet brief getaway this past week. It was a great break from the tile project and it was nice to enjoy the out of doors for an evening.

Shadows on our evening hike

We were up high, 8,020 feet!

The view during our hike. We decided to go over the mountain on our own trail. Not a good idea for me since I was wearing sandals and shorts. Oh well, it was an adventure.

Tile, Tile, and More Tile

Ever since we moved into our house I have wanted to have more consistent flooring. It used to be that you could stand in the entry hall and see 5 different flooring types; carpet, small tile, linoleum, wood, and another linoleum pattern. After our project we will not see linoleum and we will see lots of tile. We are about halfway done so I will post more once everything is done and put back together. Here are some before images.

In the background is the old tile that had to be removed. Unfortunately, I did not get a good picture of this tile before my husband removed it.

This is the carpet that was under the kitchen table.
Who wants carpet under a kitchen table, not me!

This is the linoleum in the kitchen.

This is the other linoleum.

Now for some action and after shots.

Hubby and crew hard at work.

Now I will have tile under the kitchen table.

This is the best representation of the tile color.

The new kitchen floor.

We did manage to take a break today and have some fun on this.

Scones, not fry bread

I am eating a day old blueberry scone that still tastes amazing. Although I baked these yummy morsels myself it is just a great recipe that make these scones so scrumptious and has little to do with my baking ability. I had the ingredients for several days and decided to make them last night with the help of the boys. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated.

I don't know why kids like to eat flour

The scones before they are baked

Ready to be enjoyed

Blueberry Scones
from Cook's Illustrated

It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.

INGREDIENTS
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.
2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.
3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Following illustrations, fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
To Make Ahead:
After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Summer Fun

Yesterday we went on a family hike in the evening. I love the mountains in the evening when they look almost pink. It was a steep climb, but the boys did a great job, although one was being carried in a backpack. This is what summer is all about!

On the way up

Resting at the top

Pink Mountains

View from the top

Tag from Cindy

I am new to this whole blog thing , so this is my first tag. There may be rules about tagging that I don't know about, but here goes.

3 Joys

1- Eating great food

2- Sleeping late on the weekend

3- My kids

3 Fears

1- Having a plane I am flying in do a somersault down the runway upon landing

2- Being boring

3- Being a bad mother

3 goals

1- Attend all the tennis grand slam events, this one may take several years to accomplish

2- Have a better and bigger garden

3- Clean out my closet

3 current obsessions

1- Monk

2- Finding good restaurants within 20 miles of my house

3- Going to the farmers market

3 Random facts about me

1- I was in my high school choir which sang backup for Rosemary Clooney (yes, George's Aunt) at the Oakland Paramount Theater

2- I ran a marathon last year and want to run another one

3- In 7th grade I was hospitalized for 5 days with gastrointendinitis

3 people I tag

1-Courtney

2-Janelle

3-Emily