Chopped! ~~~~~ Patriotic Posies~~~~~Patriotic Boys~~~ A focus on Service

Over the years, Steve and I have hosted many dinner parties....we love to entertain.  In LA we hosted 'Tables of Eight' where you would rotate houses once a month and take turns what course you brought and who the guests were....then we organized many many many progressive dinners and mystery dinners...we also started a dinner party for Scripps Ranch Softball team as a fundraiser and that has turned into 'A Taste of the Ranch' that is their number one fundraiser for the entire year....along with intimate dinner parties and themed dinner parties over the years.....a few weeks ago we were watching 'Chopped' and thought about having a chopped dinner party....so it was on.  It was so simple to put together - I only wish I had more pictures! 

 

I put out all kinds of cooking oils and seasonings, compliments, etc.....

 

and created a pantry in the dining room with all kinds of ingredients to compliment the baskets...fresh vegies, fruits, pastas, etc., also had serving pieces for the presentation and pans to cook with.....



 We set up the family room as the judges area....we made ballots and also had a prize for the winner....

 Here are our willing and adorable contestants....they were all gamers and really did well in their allotted 20 minute time line!

 Basket 1 Couple:  Brave and Sweet.  Ingredients:  Dinner rolls, shrimp, fresh mozzarella, fingerling potato's...they added a few things and turned that into this delish shrimp bruschetta-ish delight!

 Basket 2 Couple:  Adorable and Compatible (yes compatible was a category to judge!)  Ingredients:  Bacon, Water Chestnuts, Butter Waffle Cookies....they turned this into a spicy 'multi asian' stir fry with a delish chocolate waffle truffle....

 Basket 3 Couple:  Cute and Strategic.  Ingredients:  Can black beans, can multicolor corn, tofu, red onion.  They had the best dish (and won) with this incredible yummy Quesadilla and he wowed us with his expertise in the kitchen!

 Basket 4 Couple:  Young and competitive....and wish I had a better picture....it was hard to host and take pictures!  Ingredients:  chocolate pudding, marshmallow cream, ginger snaps and microwave pork rinds.....they made a banana split heart shaped dessert with crumbled pork rinds....and boo hoo...no picture of the award ceremony but it was a kick to hang with these incredible talented and fun people!!!

 

 I wanted to focus on 'Service' this week and make some Patriotic Posie pins for  Memorial Day some of my friends who had husbands, dads, sons, etc. in the service.  I bought 3 compatible fabrics and some buttons that need to be covered (I loved doing this when I was a little girl my grandmother sewed)...

 I made a template and cut 2 larger flowers and 4 smaller flowers, rotating fabric....

 Then I covered the buttons in the left over fabric.....and enjoyed a trip back to 1960's and my MaMa's house watching her whirrrrr away on her sewing machine while I played on the floor with all her fabric scraps....

 Then I folded the smaller flowers and rotated them on the larger baser....

 Added the button....and sewed a latch pin on the back....

 And whipped up a batch of patriotic posies!  I can't wait to share these!

 I could not wait for Friday night for my adorable boys to come over....Brody is still in the Kelly's hero mode....he and big brother love to hike down the canyon next to our house....

 I can't get enough of this sweet face....so proud of this boy.  As a first grader his class got off to a rough start - 3 different teachers in the first 8 weeks of school!  Talk about learning to adjust!  He persevered and under his mommy's guiding eye has excelled - reading above his grade level, socially happy and incredibly sweet.....

 I love my Kelly's hero's (Brody) work ethic....he will wash my dishes, pick up all his toys and even vacuum his GiGi's car - he is a real life hero to me.

 The boys are outgrowing their little table I use when they are here (boo hoo) so Steve and I wanted to get new bar stools for them to use...ours did not have backs on them.  I priced them around town and had almost decided on some and then it hit me - check Craig's List first!  I found THE VERY SAME ones in great condition in PB so Steve went to check them out and brought them home....honestly, I saved over $400.00!

 I had a chance to do a little thrifting with my bestie this week - we went to a surgery preop for her and needed to have some fun - so lunch and shopping - what better!....not pictured is a fab vintage Christmas table cloth I found (I had to do some spotting on it - turned out great) and I found more pilgrims, a cute little leprechaun, an eyewitness book for Dylan's collection and a depression glass piece...grand total:  $12.95  (I did buy some trays for my artist neighbor and a ball also - those costs not included in the $12.95)

 Rocky loves to watch the boys play military from a perch on the couch....then when they go outside he walks all around the 'scene' and checks everything out...I love to watch him survey....he is so funny!

In closing....I am reminded of Service....Giving of one's time and resources without expectation of payment or reward.  Doing what one is capable of doing for the joy of doing and giving to others.

Our Secret Garden.....We love Festivals!



They boys, Steve and I decided to plant a 'secret garden'....Dylan is so into plants and anything to do with digging in the dirt and seeing things grow....he is very into this project.  We are hoping to attract special birds and fairies that will bring gifts for our garden......it is all very secret....sshhhhhhh.....Here we have tomato's, corn, pumpkins (for jack o lanterns!), peppers and a tiny rosebush that we hope the fairies will like.....

 

 

It was Dylan's idea to float some roses in the fountain to please the fairies......I don't know about the fairies but this really pleases GiGi!



 

We had a wonderful visitor....we have never seen a bird like this before in our garden.....it is working!!!! But where are the fairies?

 

A little shout out to Gramps....his yard is looking good this year!

 



 

Our flowers for the victims of Boston bombing are blooming nicely.....

Sadly, after yesterday, we will have to plant more for the tornado victims of Oklahoma.....if you look hard on the wall by the fountain you will see a dome garden with vegetable seeds growing....another Dylan project....

 

 The boys love to swing from this area and watch for birds and those elusive fairies!

 This is the view from the fairy garden.....close to water and pretty features for our visitors....they must be fast as we can't seem to see one!

Brody loves his little house I bought him at the Thrift Store....he can use his binoculars to spy on the garden and who is visiting!

We took the boys to the first spring festival this past weekend .....we love festivals...fresh air, nice people, walking around and holding hands.....the boys love them too!  We are lucky there is one about every weekend in the summer in San Diego. 

 This one had a wonderful parade!  Fire trucks, clown cars, candy tosses - what else would a little boy want?

 Even the Oscar Mayer Weiner Wagon.....brings back memories for me....would you be surprised if I told you I still had my Oscar Meyer Weiner Whistle....probably not huh?

 This little boys loves his hot dogs, so what a perfect picture is this?

And an old fashioned ring toss.....Dylan won lots of prizes for him and his brother.....it is good to see big brother do for his little brother.....and because they had so many things, we searched for a little boy who had nothing and Dylan gave him a ball and Brody gave him some candy.....

 

I am reminded that the value of teaching knowledge and wisdom develops courage, strength and discipline to act.

Arizona Living.....California Bloodlines.....A Dodger Legend

One of the soundtracks of my life is "California Bloodlines' by John Stewart, who had a haunting charisma  small cult following in the Southwest.  I did meet him several times, saw him on stage in Southern California, Phoenix, Tucson, The Palomino Club in LA and more.  He was a brilliant writer, not so good singer, incredible artist and I thought a great entertainer.  His songs always come to my mind during events I do and places I go.  Sadly he passed away a few years ago, not far from me, at the Hotel Del in Coronado.  

Lyrics:  

Had I been born in New York City

A New York City girl I'd know
Workin' in the concrete, not the sunlight
Livin' in the New York rain and snow

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

And just to think I might have never known you
If I had lived my life in Tennessee
But I really could have never let that happen
For you and California are in me

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

Have you wondered where we were before we were born?
Rollin' 'round the heavens like a song
I know it's then I saw the big Sierras
Saw a California sunrise comin' on

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart

So as I crossed the desert last week to see my Arizona born boy and his beautiful wife in their brand new home it was exactly what I found....Arizona Living, but some California Bloodlines..... 

Side note:  I wish I knew how many times I have crossed the desert from AZ to CA and CA to AZ....it has to be in the hundreds....several times a year since 1976.....wish I would have counted!  I think I know every cactus and rock by heart!

So here is how we rolled.....Uncle Adam and Adam Jr (Dylan) scout the seats at the DBacks to pick out the perfect seats.....

 Looks like the seats were good ones....each of the boys got a MLB ball from a player during batting practice....Thanks Uncle Adam!

One very happy boy and one proud Uncle....

The boys loved this huge backyard project in process and lots of fun digging in the dirt!

 Of course, inside was nice too....loads of new carpet and space to spread out and play on.....

 ...and boy did we love lounging in this great room.....so relaxing.....

We did manage to break away from the comfy loving home to do some outings.  We love to hit up Nordstrom's Last Chance when we go....this time we found a firetruck tie for Brody...he rocked it!

And another fave stop - Cafe Rio.....why oh why don't we have these in SD....

 See what you are missing San Diego???????  Fresh, delicious, inexpensive, win, win, win

 And back at the Casa - a little tour of those California Bloodlines I was writing about....

 A complete and whimsical Mickey Mouse bathroom.....upscale of course with original artwork and perfection in the way everything is placed....

This is out of order but we love playing games and played most of the weekend....here Dylan and I play Battleship, with Aunt Shannie's help.....we also played some fun ones when my brother came over - bummed I did not get pics of that!  We are gamers from way back in the day...

 What?  More signs of California Bloodlines?  The office done in Dodger Blue you say? 

A place for everything and everything in it's place.......

Loved the wall of champions......Is that because we went to hundreds and hundreds of Dodger Games when he was growing up?....he was at Fernando Valenzula's first game in 1981 and was there for  Orel Herishier debut in 1983 and when he finished the season with a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched....and countless other epic baseball events....on the wall is the Artful Dodger, Tommy LaSorda and voice of the Dodgers Vin Scully....and who is that last picture of??? 

Could it be the greatest of all baseball World Series comeback hitters Kirk Gibson?  Truth be told, we were at that incredible World Series game when Kurt hit the home run in the 9th to win the game and he could barely hobble around the field to tag all the bases!...A night Dodger fans will never forget - always ranked as one of the Top 10 Sports Highlights of all time!!!!  And the other part of the truth....2 drunk guys in front of us got in a fight and we decided to leave to be safe and as we were in the parking lot Kurt hit it out the there!!!  We could not believe it!  So as years pass and connections to Phoenix and California bloodlines cross, a loving athlete embraced my son, the loyal Dodger fan, invited him down to Diamondbacks game where he is now a coach, to meet in person and autographed this picture taken that night especially for him..."To Adam, Stay til the End...My Best, Kirk Gibson".

 Lessons learned as they say!

 I did get a chance to sneak off to old Glendale for some fun shopping!

Love those shops and all the goodies that they hold....

 be still my heart....

 And what fun to cook in this beautiful kitchen...I am not known for my cooking skills and honestly my kids never beg for anything I make (chicken and rice anyone?) but I do make a pasta that my daughter in law loves so this is my offering especially made for her!

 Road Warrior Rocky makes himself at home no matter where he goes!

 My Arizona sweeties found this while out shopping and fell in love with it.....

 So I tried to surprise them and by it and bring it home....'tried' is the key word here....they saw it on 16th St. and Camelback at Pier One....I tried to get it at 77th and Bell at Pier One....they did not carry said article so cross town driving it was!  But worth it to make them happy.  It does look perfect where they put it....

 So saying goodbye to my Granddogs....Abbey....

 Benson....

 Curious Cosby....

 And a final wave to this beautiful couple who reside at Casa ShAdam....back across the deser I go....

My loves:  Be happy in Arizona....stay til the end....don't forget your California Bloodlines!