Papet Vaudois

I've never heard of it. Never tried it. On our brave journey we made our way to Switzerland.

 Ian and I have actually been there...

but we never had this dish. When we visited, a friend tried to teach me the language (a similar version of German), it did not stick with me. Still, we enjoyed the skiing, fresh bread and cheese and the AMAZING views.

Some dishes just remind you of places. I remember the warm hospitality I felt when a friend made us 40 garlic clove chicken. I feel the romance shared over a pot of fondue at the Melting Pot. I cherish memories with sweet friends over Tim's pie.

Food has a way of reminding us of memories. So I am continuing my attempt to help my children remember European geography through their stomachs. Papet Vaudois is prepared with potatoes, leeks, smoked sausage and whipping cream. It was a tasty dish and this is JJ's response to our digestive trip through Switzerland...

I can't quite tell if it's delight or disgust...but memorable none-the-less.

Our visit to Germany...

Part two of my attempt to cook our way through geography seems to be successful. This time, we visited a country we hold very dear. A country we lived in for three years and where our first son was born...Germany. There are so many cuisines I remember from this place and it was difficult to choose just one. I ended up serving one of the most recognized German meals...bratwurst. I remember when we first moved there, it took us a while to recover from the jet lag and settle in. There was so much we had to do in order to setup our home. Once we got unpacked, we headed to Wurzburg to visit Ian's brother Philip and wife Leilani who were also stationed in Germany. We ate at a little resteraunt downtown. I was so excited to be there. So excited to get a real bratwurst! So that's what I ordered. When the plate came out, I realized my idea of the bratwurst was not authentic. My American version involved a grill and a bun. What I was served must have been boiled and alone on the plate. Confused, I asked for a bun and was served a roll. I stopped trying to get my version and embraced the real Germany. So this is what I served this week. The real Germany. Bratwurst with apples, onions and sauerkraut, WARM German potato salad, pumpernickel bread and a cucumber salad with dill yogurt.

Guten Appetit!

The boy who didn't want to be born on Valentine's Day...

There once was a sweet baby waiting to be born. His mother, father and brother couldn't wait to hold him and kiss him. The anticipation for his birth was almost tangible. On the day he was supposed to be born, it became apparent that he did not want to be born on Valentine's Day (because he is a boy and who wants pink, hearts and flowers for your birthday decorations?). So he waited until February 15th and was finally forced into the world.  He was beautiful, sweet and soft. His mother, father and brother couldn't stop holding him and kissing him.  The little boy grew to be 5 years old. He became an adorable, incredibly thoughtful, kind hearted, sweet and tender little boy. His mother, father and brother still can't stop holding and kissing him! We love you Nathan...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Emptiness

Since we got rid of the massive TV and the chest that housed it, we've had a huge blank wall smack dab in the middle of our living room. It's the space you see when you come in and visit us, it's the space we sit in every Thursday evening for our small group, it's the snuggle up spot when we're tired or sick. And there it is...the huge emptiness. We've looked  for months for a piece of art that fits in with the room and our personality but could never find one...that we could afford! My only legitimate suggestion was to use the tall open wall to create an indoor rock climbing wall. How cool would that be for our three growing boys? Alas, my only creative solution was shot down by he who has the final say in our house. Defeated and uninspired, I turned to a dear friend for a suggestion. After many good ideas to go on...


this is what I decided on...

So, there it is. The beginning of my black and white collection. Maybe I'll get good enough with my Rebel to make my own additions to the wall. For now, if you'd like to contribute your best black and white photo to our wall...email me at mrsjorgensen@hotmail.com

Let's learn some geography

The boys have been working their way through European geography this year. This has made for some exciting conversations as my oldest was born in Germany. I can show him pictures of when we visited Barcelona or talk to him about touring the church where Martin Luther was tried in Worms. This week, the countries we are identifying have some particularly tasty cuisines and I decided the best way to a man's heart (or possibly his education) is through his stomach! I am attempting to cook my way through some of Europe.

One of the countries we're location on a map is Austria. Known for many culinary contributions but I choose the most famous, Wiener Schnitzel and Krautfleckerln (Cabbage and Noodles). I'm familiar with making schnitzel as I learned to make it from a sweet German friend when we lived in Mannheim but the noodle dish was new to me (although very simple to make) 

Pretty Yummy!

C. Collodi

"I saw from the sincerity of your grief that you had a good heart; and when boys have good hearts, even if they are scamps and have bad habits, there is always something to hope for: that is, there is always hope that they will turn to better ways."

Thin Air

When you come to visit Flagstaff Arizona, there are a number of places you could visit. Perhaps one of the most majestic and breathtaking is the view from on top of the San Fransisco Peaks. My husband and I grew up on and around that mountain. Hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. My boys have not yet been privileged to experience this pleasure. And in Houston, we don't see very many mountains. On our trip, I took an opportunity to introduce them to one of God's many incredible creations!

Update from 7,000 feet elevation

An Update For Daddy

Can you tell what he thinks of the snow?

There's nothing like some Wii time with the cousins...even Austin got in on the action!

Can you tell that this special lady is Grammy? =)

Oh, the next one is really good...

This is the look of horror when my 4 year old realized it's not such a good idea to stick your spoon between your teeth because it could get stuck!

PURE CUTENESS

A most beloved Aunt Kiki. Nathan keeps trying to figure out why her hair is "white" (no it's not just my poor photography skills). Trying to explain how ladies can change their hair color to a 4 year old goes something like this.

Me: "Aunt Kiki changed the color of her hair from black to yellow, she's still the same girl".

Unsure Little Boy: "How did it change?"

Me: "They use chemicals to change your hair color"

ULB: "You mean, they use markers?"

Me: "Yes, something like that"

=)

The sledding hill...

Yeah...that's Nathan on the back not tuned into the fact that you're supposed to sit up on the ride down, not drag your head in the snow!

COUSINS

Now all I need are some pictures of the sweet baby, we're still praying for, that I came to see!

Winter Wonderland

To start this post I'll give you a picture that perfectly captures the essence of this post. I call this picture, "making it up as we go".

We left our home by the Gulf and traveled to where the weather was -20 degrees. The boys wanted to play in the snow but we don't need snow boots in Houston so our quick fix is...plastic bags. That's right, plastic bags over the socks, under the shoes! Ingenious if I do say so myself.

The view from up here

Fun times with cousins and uncles

What does this face say to you?

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

This is the face of a little boy after he's been stuck in a car seat for 19 hours straight!

This is the part where he realized his shoes were lost somewhere in the snow. Hmmmm...could this have anything to do with those plastic bags? 

E.M. Bounds

Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas Y'all

My Apologies...

To my dear blog readers,


It is necessary that I forewarn you and apologize for the agony you are about to experience. (Don't feel alone, I've already had this conversation with my children as well.) You will be the bearer of my experimenting. This is the point of no return, this blog will never be the same again. Keep reading...let me explain.


Thanks to incredible success with my business with Thirty-One, I have been able to fulfill one of my dreams and upgrade our point and shoot camera to a DSLR (don't ask me what that stands for, but I think it means seriously cool). One of my favorite things that we own is our pictures. Little pieces of paper that capture the sweet and not so sweet moments in life. Pieces of paper that help me remember the things I want to but can't. Moments in stories to tell my children when they are grown and older. This camera is so ridiculous, I feel entirely unworthy of it. But, I will attempt to read the manual regularly, solicit as much advice from friends as possible and seek out bloggers willing to share their knowledge. Once I learn how to use an aperture, shutter speed and white balance, maybe I won't have so much to apologize for but in the meantime...

birthdays that are happy...

Happy 8th Birthday J.J.

Let's have a ball!

Thumbs up for bowling!

The RAINBOW cake

Boys (and a girl) will be boys!

So how does it feel to be 8 years old?