Celebrate with Sub Pop!

 

Sub Pop Records is turning 25 and they want you, yes you, to come to their party!  Sub Pop is a Seattle institution that has given you some amazing music through the years with bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden,  The Postal Service, Iron and Wine, Sleater-Kinney and The Shins, so give the love back to them and wish them a happy birthday!  Did I mention that it's free!!!!  http://silverjubilee.subpop.com/info

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - I Will Create Food!

Brussels Sprouts are a tough sell to kids.  Ask any parent.  There is something about them that turn people off in droves even if they've never had them.  We are working on changing that perception in our house.  I personally am not a fan of the steaming method so I went searching for a better way to get my family to eat them.  Roasting is the key.  It's quick, easy and tastes awesome!

You will need:
1-1 1/2 pound of Brussels Sprouts
2 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter or margarine (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

 First give your sprouts a good rinse.

Next trim off the very bottom and remove any yellow or browning leaves.

Like so.

Add your olive oil (I usually eyeball it)

Season to taste.

Spread them on a cookie sheet.  I put down foil to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
Toss them on the middle rack of the oven and roast them for 30-40 minutes.  Check them every 10 minutes or so and give the pan a shake to allow them to brown evenly.

They should have a nice brown/dark brown to the outer leaf.  After roasting, you can toss them with a little butter/margarine if you'd like, either way they will taste awesome!

 

Go To A State Park For Free! -

To celebrate Washington State Parks Centennial,  Saturday, March 30th is a "free day".  So go and explore some of our beautiful state parks.  The other "free days" this year are:

April 27 - 28: Recognition of National Parks Week
June 1: National Trails Day
June 8 - 9: National Get Outdoors Day and WDFW Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4: Peak summer season free day
Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 - 11: Veteran’s Day weekend

Create Fire(Starters)

Spring is upon us and therefore camping season is right around the corner.  We love spending time under the stars, roasting marshmallows over a campfire.  And one of the best ways we've found to ensure we have a roaring fire is to make sure we have plenty of these fire starters on hand.  These are made from stuff you would normally throw away so some pre-planning is necessary. 

You will need:
an empty egg carton
dryer lint
paraffin wax
a tin can to melt the wax in

 Start with a simple double boiler to melt the wax.  Fill a sauce pan with about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and place your tin can in.

 

Add your block of paraffin wax and turn the stove to medium.

 While that melts, move on to the next step. 

Take the dryer lint and stuff it into each of the dimples.

Once you have stuffed each of the dimples with lint it's time for the wax.

Pour your melted wax evenly over each lint pocket.

And that's it... let it dry and store it with your camping gear.  When you need a fire starter, break off one or two of these and add them to your kindling.  They work great.   

Two-ingredient Macaroons - I Will Create Food!

I love to cook and I love to bake, but there are times (and recipes) when i don't have the time to make what I would like.  I have found a few recipes that are quick, easy and I can make with the 4-year-old helping me out.  One of them is Cheater's Fudge , another is Two-ingredient Macaroons.  These macaroons can be made in 15-20 minutes, including baking time, and last about as long around here.  If you like sweet, toasted coconut then these are for you.

You will need:
1 package of coconut (14oz or so)
1 can of condensed milk (I use the lowfat variety, but that's just personal preference.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the coconut into a mixing bowl.

 It's about here that your helper will have to do a mandatory quality control taste test.

Once the taste test is over, add the condensed milk.

And mix it all together.

Mix it until the coconut is evenly coated.

Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  (this was a team effort)

 Pop them in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Check them around the 9 minute mark to make sure they're not burning. They should be browning around the top and edges. 

 Let them cool off and you can store them in fridge until you are ready to eat. To make them more decadent melt some chocolate chips and dip the bottoms in it.  They will not last long wither way.

Recreate History - Lego reproductions

Construction Workers on the Death Star and Empire State Building respectively

There have always been images that have drawn a visceral, as well as intellectual, response from people.  And nothing shows appreciation like a LEGO homage.  Over the last year we have created a variety of Lego interpretations of  art, photography and pop culture. We work together to build our creations all the while discussing the history behind the originals.  These are some of our favorites.

Raising of the flag at Iwo Jima

Scene from the Walking Dead

Scene from the Walking Dead

First steps on the Moon

Happy Pi Day!

 

HAPPY PI DAY!