The Cracker Barrel

I love The Cracker Barrel restaurant. Maybe not in an OMG-you-HAVE-to-try-this-place!!! kind of way, but definitely in an if-you-don't-like-this-place-there's-something-wrong-with-you kind of way. Because seriously, what's not to love?

Kristin's Top 10 Reasons to LOVE the Cracker Barrel

1. The Checkers Game. Yes, I put this in capital letters. It's a requirement when talking about a game with playing pieces the size of your head. A good old fashioned game of checkers on an outrageously over-sized scale. Perfect for anyone between 4 and 400 years of age. When we go to the Cracker Barrel we never make it inside without stopping to play a game of checkers on the front porch first.
   
2. The Peg Game. This one is capitalized too, but not because of size. Oh, no. This one deserves capital letters because of the sly hook printed on the top of the game board that calls you an ignoramus if you can't get it right. Strangely, people all over this country can't resist besting a piece of wood with golf tees that calls you stupid. And I'm one of 'em.
3. The rocking chairs. The rocking chairs that adorn the front porch of Cracker Barrel restaurants all over the country really should come with a warning. They should be obligated to tell you that if you make the mistake of sitting down in one, it will hypnotize your a**. You might also find yourself making small talk with someone from several states away and actually enjoying yourself.
4. The candy. Yep. I admit it. When I go into the Cracker Barrel store, I'm immediately 8 years old again. They have all of the sugary sweets that were popular decades ago and they are wrapped in the wrappers from back then too! 1 pound Hershey bars, Frisbee-sized old fashioned lollipops, peppermint sticks, horehound candy, Moon Pies, Cracker Jacks, Red Hot Atomic Fireballs in Mason jars and lemon drops. I admit I don't partake as freely as when I was 8, but oh, the memories!
5. The toys. Same song, second verse. Everything I said about the candy? True about the toys section. Slinky toys, Silly Putty, the checkers game, Raggedy Ann and Andy, sock monkeys and Etch-a-Sketch. Sweet stuff.
6. The decor. Retro kitsch at its best. Old time advertising for un-PC things like cigarettes, cigars and loose leaf tobacco is combined with those labels we all know and love. Campbell's Soup, Oxydol detergent and Palmolive dish soap. Remember the commercials for Palmolive with Madge the waitress? Permanently burned on my brain, just like the commercials for Clorox 2--'ancient Chinese seeeeeecret!'.
   
7. The fireplace. Whenever we go to Cracker Barrel, Taylor wants to sit in front of the fireplace and read a story or two. Go ahead. It's okay. Say a great big heartfelt "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww"!
8. The audio books collection for travelers. LOVE IT! I started taking Taylor on road trips back to South Dakota to visit family when she was 2 years old. Just the two of us on an 11-hours-each-way kind of road trip. John would stay at home (someone has to pay the bills) while Tay and I discovered the little known by-ways of Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota on the way to Grandma Lou's house. Cracker Barrel has saved my life on these road trips and turned my daughter into a fairly well-read (well-audioed?) kid.
   
9. The deals to be found in the Country Store. Taylor and I went to the Cracker Barrel last Thursday and squealed with delight over their new Halloween displays. Taylor found these colorful glass spiders made from beads and glass balls and attached to a stretch spring. She was in love. In lust. I wasn't going to get out of the store without a verbal confrontation of some magnitude. I sighed and asked, "Well, how much are they?" She looked at the tag and said, "One dollar and nine cents." I said, "Get outta here! Give me that!" Sure enough. These oh-so-cool spiders were just over a buck apiece. We bought every one they had. :)
10. The food. Yeah. You knew with me typing this was going to top the list. And you were RIGHT! The food served at the Cracker Barrel is delicious, diverse and dangerous. They use the meal equation I grew up with. Fried + starch + starch + sugar + saturated fat = fine eatin'. A meal isn't a meal without four different breads being served, meat on the plate and sugar on everything else (vegetables, dessert, in your tea or coffee). Oh and don't forget to use a shovel to serve it all up! (Check out their menu and see if you don't agree with me.) It completely takes me back to my childhood. Sunday dinners at grandma's house. Mom making meat and potatoes for supper. Driving into town for a treat at the local cafe. Oh yeah, those were the days.
    Taylor loves the mac and cheese. John loves the fact that meat is the center of attention. I love the hash brown casserole. I'm pretty sure there is a petrifying amount of salt in it and that they use a stick of butter per serving. Still, I get it every time I go and when I've eaten every single shred of potato I secretly wish there was more on my plate. I sigh, then flag down my server to request the insulin drip I need before tackling my dessert. :)

So there you have it. 10 reasons why I love the Cracker Barrel. We don't go to the Cracker Barrel on a regular basis. I would have even more explaining to do at my yearly checkups than I already do! Still, we do go at least 2 or 3 times a year and every time we go back, it's like we never left.

Kristin

More TKD Video

I got some new footage on the Ninja Girl. Yesterday's Tae Kwon Do class was actually fun to watch. The kids are now practicing their 'one-steps' or basic self-defense moves. For brand new white belts, this means combining a block with three strikes, then another block. For each move there are words the kids say to help them remember the sequence. For white belts the words are, "Get back! Leave me alone! I am safe!" Here's Taylor doing her best (worst?) to get it right:

At the end of class, after practicing this sequence about 25 times, Taylor "defended" herself against her master instructor's "attack". After successfully repeating the sequence, the master
told her she was "a scary meanie" and he wouldn't want to meet up with her in a dark alley somewhere. Taylor beamed about this for the rest of the day. :)

The budding ninja girl warrior has decided to stick with Tae Kwon Do for the next six months. I won't bore you with the details, but I think getting another part time job will be required in order to fund this latest endeavor. Yowch!

Kristin

A Summons, a Star and a View From Afar

I have been summoned. And not in a good way. I have not won the Powerball lottery, I have not received a promotion or been called to the front door by Publisher's Clearing House. I have been summoned for jury service to the United States District Court, District of Colorado, Denver Jury Division. Boo hiss.

Normally I would consider this a mild annoyance. Under these circumstances, namely being on call for the entire month of August, I am well past annoyance and straight into bitchiness. I am not happy. August is the busiest month for our family. 10th wedding anniversary, Taylor's birthday, family visit from my mom and nephews planned, beginning of school. Our vacation time is in August. None of these reasons are considered a hardship excuse, which means that I may potentially miss any or all of these events to drag my behind to Denver and go through the jury selection process. Grrrrrrr.
I know, I know. Civic duty and all that. I probably won't get called. Fill in the blank the number of people you know who have received a similar summons and not been utilized. I know. It's just that my luck with such things is legendary for putting Murphy's law to shame. I am trying not to borrow trouble at this point, but I don't have a good feeling about all of this. For the time being, call me Murphy.

But there are bigger and better things to talk about (now that my vent is over). Taylor earned her first star for the SuperStars chart at Tae Kwon Do class! Yeah Taylor! She earned her fifth clip during the middle of class and got so excited she broke form and spent the next 2 minutes trying to jump high enough to show me the clip on her belt. I usually sit in the chairs on the side of the practice area, so I'm not in Taylor's direct line of vision and thereby don't serve as a constant distraction to her paying attention. This time it didn't work. Her instructor came over at the end of class and reported no other kid in the history of his school ever being that excited to earn their first star. He couldn't stop laughing. I asked him where he was while we were going through potty training hell. :) Here's the proof:

Who knew one little star could be such a motivating thing?
It's never worked before...

Even better than the star on the wall was the star she received to put on her uniform top. Again a blue star, no bigger than a dime and yet she was over the moon about it. The uniform star may have well been the reason why she decided to continue with classes for the next six months! No, she really does enjoy class, even without the star.

This past weekend we went out to my friend Abby's house to go through scrapbook albums and plan a new one in honor of Beanie. We had a great time visiting. Taylor played with the dogs, visited the kitties, chased after the bunnies and found endless delight in being really interested in whatever "Uncle" Rick (Abby's dad) was doing. Here's some pics from the day.

The view from Abby's backyard is spectacular no matter
what time of day it is or what season.

There are tons of bunnies on Abby's place. Even when
the coyotes come out for their evening howl, you
can see them ten deep.

Xy Xy is one of Taylor's best buddies. He willingly plays fetch
and is always interested in sharing a snack, namely
chocolate pudding. What's not to love?

Calamity Jane, aka Clammie, is one of Abby's rescued
greyhounds. She usually doesn't come out when company
is around, but she did on Sunday. What a pretty old girl!

This is another rescue dog that Abby brought home from Spain.
His name is Inigo Montoya but we call him Pokey Pokerson.
He has no problems poking you with his snout when he feels
the need for a good belly rub. :)

To end the evening, Abby showed me a subversive but oh-so-funny book she brought home for her dad from a recent trip to Boston. The book is called, "What Your Poo is Telling You" and we got more laughs from that book than I've had in a while. Check it out! You might all want to know what I'm giving you for Christmas this year... LOL

Kristin

Rainbow Alert!

Every time there is a rainbow sighted in the vicinity of our home we go on full rainbow alert. This family tradition was started by Taylor when she was 4 years old. She saw her first real rainbow way up in the sky and was so impressed by the sight that she talked of nothing else for weeks. The next time she witnessed such a delight she started yelling, "RAINBOW ALERT, RAINBOW ALERT!!!" Now she has all of us doing it, even some of our neighbors. :) We've had several doozies over the past few weeks--here's some pictures of the natural wonders.

Our 4th of July rainbow.

Double the fun! Not a bad image for a P&S camera.

Yes, this picture is sideways--Taylor insists this is the best way
to look at it. That way the pot of gold is somewhere in
our backyard!

We've seen a surprising number of rainbows this month, probably because of all the evening thunderstorms that have come our way. No rain, but plenty of rainbows! It's beginning to cloud over pretty good this afternoon--maybe another Rainbow Alert is coming our way.

Kristin

Long Time No Type

A week with no update? Whoa! Time to bring that pony back to the corral!

Actually, I ran over the camera cable with the vacuum cleaner--whoops! I thought it was a goner for sure, but luckily it still works. Here's the lowdown from Anthonyville.

Taylor has completed her third week of Tae Kwon Do class and is as enthusiastic as ever. This week she actually managed to bend her elbows during push-ups and received a reward for her efforts. One more clip on her belt and she earns her first star on the Superstars chart. :)



She also learned how to pack a little power in her front kick. The master instructor was impressed and asked her to demonstrate in front of the class. She didn't stop talking about this for 2 days.


The best part of the week (according to Miss Ninja) was learning how to put several moves together so it seems like hand-to-hand combat. I tried to remind her that she is really learning self-defense, but no-go on that one. The word combat is much cooler. :)

Taylor also spent time with dad going on day hikes and taking a second fishing trip. Here are a few candids of her and her new walking stick, CamelBak strapped on and the world at her fingertips...





We also have a new fishing picture of the second catch of the season, George. Predictably, George was not as thrilling as Jennifer the Magic Fish, but was suitably impressive because he was twice as big.


Time with mom was spent shopping and going to the library. Taylor has fallen in love with all things sold at The Body Shop, but especially loves their new body butter scent named Moringa (don't ask me, because I have absolutely no idea...) and their pink lip gloss that you have to put on with a brush. Ooh la la! She also has taken a fancy to anything with glitter on it, so we scored some major sales at JCPenny's and Old Navy. EVERYTHING she got had glitter on it somewhere. To top it off, we scored a great deal on a pink leopard print dress up outfit. This has become the new I'm-wearing-this-everywhere-including-to-bed ensemble, even when it's 100 degrees outside and she runs the risk of heat stroke. *sigh*

"Just call me Carmelita!"
A direct quote.

I've never really thought of Taylor as the diva type, but lately she's coming close. Until she starts worrying about chipping her nail polish or smearing her lip gloss at Tae Kwon Do class, I think I'm safe. I think...

Kristin

Fishing With Dad

The trail to paradise...

John and Taylor went fishing together for the first time yesterday evening. The day was spent preparing for the event. Fishing license? Check. Tackle and gear? Check. Bait? Check. Where to fish? Well, this was a problem for a while, until our neighbor helped the dynamic duo out. After much discussion of the merits of about 20 places around Fort Collins to go fishing, John and Taylor decided to try their luck at Harmony Ponds.

Fishing in pink plaid madras is really the only way to go.

The story that ensues is one that will become legendary in our household. According to both participants, they had been fishing for just a few minutes. Taylor was reeling in her hook and bobber for another try at casting when a fish at the very edge of the pond came up out of the grasses and jumped onto the hook! Taylor 'caught' her first fish! Woo hoo! John says that Taylor was so excited she couldn't think straight and had tears of joy in her eyes. She literally couldn't believe it. She promptly named her first catch "Jennifer the Magic Fish", posed with her catch and then released the fish back into the water to become another fisher's dream.

Jennifer the Magic Fish, a baby blue gill.

Taylor promptly left me two cell phone messages (each a minute apart) to let me in on the tremendous news. Two pictures were sent as proof of her triumph of the day. I had to laugh. I was on my way downtown to meet 'my peeps' for a girls' night out and to do some catch-up on what was going on in our lives. I was 15 minutes late because when I called Taylor back to share in her excitement--she could not stop talking! I loved it. Her enthusiasm about life is one of the things I love best about her. Well, that and a billion other things...

The proof! If you look closely, you can tell Taylor is
still a little verklempt.

After Jennifer the Magic Fish swam away, many more nibbles and almost-catches ensued. The two tried for another hour to recreate the magic of their first few minutes, but no luck. I suspect that any other fish caught would have paled in comparison to Jennifer anyway.

The proud and patient papa.

I suspect that many more fishing expeditions are in our near future. Another neighbor of ours (and grandfather to Taylor's friend and classmate) gave John a registration form for a non-competitive fishing derby for kids. Taylor and her friend are going to enter together and spend a day in August seeing how many fish they can catch and release in one afternoon. Sounds like fun to us!

And Jennifer, wherever you are today, a note of thanks from me. You performed a feat worthy of an Olympian and in the process made my daughter so happy she cried for joy. Thanks for taking one for the team! I hope your mouth has recovered and you live to be a ripe old age.

Kristin

A Blast From the Past

I've been going through pictures on our archive CD's and have found pictures I forgot I had. What a fun surprise! I'm especially joyous about uncovering old scanned photos of my brother and I when we were little. Here's a few of my absolute favorites.

Ah, the 70's sofa. Part scenic picture backdrop, part camouflage.
This is me with my brother Douglas.

Don't know what family function we were going to, but man, were we
stylin' or what?

Another 70's family moment. We're in front of Grandma Thea's house
with my Uncle Charlie, our dog Squeaky and
the prized birthday present that year.
Too cool. I match the stairs AND the Tonka Truck.

This one is my all-time favorite. It was impossible to get a good posed
photo of my brother and I. He was my first very best friend.

There are tons more that I could post. Family vacations, birthdays, summer reunions, sporting events, prom nights. I've even found some of me in the tub with my bathtime pal Snoopy. But I'll save those for another post...

Kristin

Bye to Beanie

Today my good friend Abby let me know that one of her beloved four-foots is no longer with us. Beanie Baby (aka Chauda) died last night with her mommy at her side. Beanie was suffering from many tumors, including a splenic mass, mammary tumors and another to her elbow that had ruptured and was deteriorating. While we knew that Beanie had a short time left with us, her death has made our day a little somber. Our last picture of Beanie was taken a week ago Sunday at the birthday party Abby had at her house. Beanie was one of Taylor's favorite four-foots and mine as well. We miss her.


If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
- Will Rogers

Kristin

Martial Arts Miss

Taylor has started her journey to becoming a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Classes started last Thursday and she decided to join in. Life at our house hasn't been the same since. Ah, the enthusiasm of a 6-year old warrior-want-to-be!

She received her official ATA uniform last Thursday and insisted on wearing the whole thing to class, even though the top is usually only worn at competition. Her master instructor was impressed with her enthusiasm and let her wear it to class, but just this first time. :)

After warm ups and stretching, she got to try out some serious ninja moves on the kicking towers. First move a white belt learns? Front kick. First correction a white belt receives about said front kick? Try not to swing your head side to side because you are in love with your hair. :)




Taylor reported enjoying every single minute of class, even though half the time was spent doing core strength exercises like push-ups and gut busters. I asked her what she thought of those and she said "They're easy Mom!" Hmmmm.....I wonder why?




I think her push-up style is a little too much like her mother's... ;)

She'll be going to class 2 times a week until she advances one belt level. We'll keep everyone updated on her progress, especially when she tests for her next belt.

Kristin

Exploring With Dad

John and Taylor decided to drive up the Poudre Canyon today to do some exploring. While Mom was home sleeping, they uncovered some of the beauty Colorado is famous for. Taylor found a great hiking stick and spent the afternoon splashing in the Cache la Poudre River.


Taylor was excited to find out that there are lots of camping and picnicking areas along the river, as well as hiking trails to explore. Plans are already in the works to take a picnic up there sometime this week.



On the way home, John and Taylor stopped at an outdoor store and picked up a CamelBak (pink, of course) for her to use on their adventures. She hasn't taken it off since she got it and the 'coolness' factor has gotten her to drink more water today than I've gotten her to drink all week long. Hmmmm. If I had only known how easy it could be...


The next thing to figure out is where the best spots are to take kids fishing. Taylor is soooooooo excited about the idea of fishing--I wonder what she'll think of the actual activity? She and Dad have scoped out the perfect first fishing pole. With some help from fishing-savvy friends and neighbors, we'll have our first fishing expedition soon. Very soon.

Kristin

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Zucchini Made Heavenly

I have never been much of a fan of summer squash. At best, I looked at it as a nonentity in my veggie mix, at worst I sorted it out of a finished product and ate the other stuff.

Until now.

This recipe is incredibly easy, incredibly tasty and oh-so-delightfully lovable! Here's the recipe for how I take my zucchini these days.

Zucchini Strand Spaghetti

Servings: 4 ish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound whole-wheat dried spaghettini
3/4 pound zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus a small piece

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.

While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, cut the zucchini with the fine French-fry cutter on a mandoline. If you do not have one, cut by hand into the longest, finest julienne you can manage. Season with salt and pepper. If your zucchini is very finely cut, it does not need to be cooked. Otherwise, place in a colander, suspend over the pasta pot, cover the pot, and steam the zucchini until still slightly crunchy, about 2 minutes.

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and saute briefly until light brown. Turn on the exhaust fan and add the red pepper flakes. Quickly mix in the basil and remove from the heat. When the pasta is al dente, drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl; add the zucchini, basil oil (optional, recipe below), the garlic mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Toss well, adding cooking water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as needed. Grate about 2 tablespoons (or cups! :P ) Parmesan over the top and serve at once.

Basil Oil (or any other herb-flavored olive oil)

Makes 1 1/3 cups

For soft herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro or tarragon: Use 4 cups packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil.

For woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, or oregano: Use 1 cup packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil.

In a blender, puree the herbs and oil until completely smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer for 45 seconds, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Don’t press on the mixture, but you can tap the strainer against your hand to get the oil to drip through faster.

Note: Fresh herb oils are better to toss into pasta at the end rather than cook with, so the oil keeps its fresh, uncooked taste.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Three Questions With No Answer

Taking a break from all of the 'inspiring novelties' outside.

Anyone with kids, or anyone who has been around kids for any length of time knows that the questions are never ending. The word 'why' is used, on average, about 1, 327 times a day. Ignoring the question will only serve to make the child much more interested in the answer than they were before. Telling them to go ask someone else is a fairly decent diversionary tactic, but only works about 1/10 th of the time. Telling them to find the answer themselves will only drag you into the process. Bottom line, there is no easy way to duck questions.

I could handle this if I actually knew the answer to the questions I'm being asked. Sadly, the brutal truth is, 99% of the questions Taylor asks these days I have absolutely no answer for. Even worse, I am the world's worst bluffer. I cannot make something up and pass it off as feasible. Because of this I now dread long rides in the car or waiting in line at Whole Foods. I once loved the one-on-one time with Taylor, but I now have a strong aversion to being anywhere with her where she has the opportunity to think very long. It inevitably turns into a discussion about something I am in no way prepared for.

I'm curious to see if you agree with me. Take a look at the three questions that left me in a sweat today and ponder how to properly answer.

Question 1: "Mom, why won't the Build-A-Bear website let me use the name Pussy Cat? Is it the first part or the last part?"

Well, I know what you're thinking. This question has an extremely easy answer. There is definitely a great reason why a kid's website will not allow the first word to be used. But how do you explain this to a 6-year old? I tried several bluffs, including 'too long', 'someone else used it already' and 'you need to spell it differently' all to no avail. I finally pleaded ignorance and she let it drop.

Question 2: "Mom, Isaiah told me a story about how these birds called storks bring babies to moms and dads. How does the stork get them in there?"

To clear up any confusion, Taylor knows all of the details about where babies grow--in mommies' tummies. She is completely confused by the tale of stork deliveries because she can't figure out how the stork gets the baby into the mommy's tummy! This was priceless, but I couldn't laugh. We've spent a lot of time looking at the book A Child Is Born and had tons of talks about parts, how a baby grows and what mommy does at work. We have not yet had a specific talk about how babies get in there in the first place! I did get her convinced that storks have nothing to do with it (much to her relief) but that was as far as the discussion went. For now.

Question 3: "Why do I have to stop looking for my inspiring novelties right now?"

If you thought, "WHAT??" to reading that last question, then you had exactly the same response I did. So I asked her. She calmly explained to me that she was using some of her outdoor time to find inspiring novelties. I asked her what inspiring novelties were and she said, "You know. Really awesome things that make your heart happy." Well. After that answer I really didn't have the heart to keep nagging her about cleaning her snack things out of the tent in the backyard. I have no idea where she got the words from, or how she knows what they mean. And it really doesn't matter. This was one question I was very happy to have no answer to.

Kristin