Email From My Dad

My Dad sent this email to some family on Tuesday...

"We were talking to Kristin on the phone last night about 11 PM (maybe later) her time. She said Otis (her cat) was hearing some noises coming from outside. She had her window cracked and could hear some rustling and noticed a guy going back and forth and walking along the top of the fence that goes between her apartment building and the one behind her (the apt bldg on 80th St...the next street over). This went on for about 20 minutes, so she called Richie, the apt "super". He said he better call the police. So about 5 or 10 minutes later, Kristin said she could hear sirens and then 4 NYPD officers were ringing her bell to get into the apartment bldg. She buzzed them in and they came to her door....she kept her lights off and took them to the window and pointed out the guy who was out there. They asked how they could get into the back yard....Kristin told them from one of the apartments on the floor below. They left and Kristin continued to watch the guy on the fence....Then she heard someone say "Don't move" and then saw a bunch of flashlights down where the guy had been. She said the officers stayed down there for about an hour and were shining flashlights all around and up towards some of the apartments above her. When the officers were done, they came back by to tell Kristin that they caught the guy...that he had broken a window on the floor above Kristin and couple of units over (#4B.....Kristin is in #1A) and had stolen a number of items that he had piled in the backyard. They thanked Kristin for calling...they don't usually show up to catch a guy red-handed when they get a call like this....usually by the time they arrive, the burglar is gone."

That is pretty much how the story went. (And I used his email because I guess I am too lazy to write about it myself :))

Roasted Broccoli and Butternut Squash

I came up with this recipe idea after having something similar at a work training that I was at a few weeks ago. All you need for this is a butternut squash (I just use a half for each meal), some broccoli, olive oil and 2 garlic cloves.

First, cut the butternut squash in half. I then cut the half into fourths. Cover all the exposed squash with olive oil, and then put it in a baking pan in about 1/4" of water. I season is with ground ginger, salt and pepper. Bake it at 350 degrees until it is soft.

When the squash has about 20 minutes to go, I put the broccoli in the oven. I drizzle some olive oil over the broccoli and sprinkle the garlic cloves (I just cut them with a knife - I am sure you could do whatever you want with them - or not use garlic at all) over the broccoli.

Once the squash is tender, I cut it into chunks (it is really easy to cut at this point). Mix in the broccoli and eat up!

Apple Crisp

This is my new favorite dessert - I think it is better than "normal" apple pie. It would be good with a scoop of ice cream, but I have not yet attempted to make ice cream that I can eat.

Ingredients

4 apples

1 tablespoon honey

> topping:

1 stick butter

1 cup almond flour

3/4 cup raw, unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup honey

1 cup ground walnuts

cinnamon to taste

Instructions

1. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" round baking dish.

2. Peel, core, and thinly slice apples

3. Place half of the apple slices in the baking dish.

4. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of honey over them and then put in the rest of the apples. You should arrange them so they lay pretty flat.

5. Topping: Mix one stick of butter (less what you used to butter the baking dish), almond flour, unsweetened coconut flakes, honey, walnuts and cinnamon. Combine all these ingredients and you should have something the consistency of a good cookie dough. Add more dry ingredients if it feels too squishy.

6. Pat the topping very firmly onto the apples. Press down a bit.

7. With a sharp knife make three parallel cuts in the middle through the topping. (If you don't, the apples will ooze out the sides and mess up your oven).

8. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes.

I just finished a piece of it now...and I could eat another but I am trying to exercise some self control :)

Old Picture

My Uncle Kevin emailed me this picture today - from approximately 1981. He has been sending some of his old negatives to Scan Cafe and this is the digital image that he received back. Looks pretty high quality.

In the picture is my dad's cousin Kurt, my dad (I have no clue what his shirt says), my mom and my Grandpa Lyle's brother, Frenchie.

Squash

I have enjoyed "cooking with the seasons" lately, and therefore have been having lots of squash - mostly acorn squash and zucchini.

The acorn squash is very easy. I cut it in half and put half in the refrigerator for another meal. After scraping out the seeds, I put the other half face down in a pan filled with about 1/4" of water and bake it at 400 degrees for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (until it is soft throughout). When it is done baking, I put walnuts or pecans in the center, along with some cinnamon and honey and that is dinner.

My other favorite is roasted zucchini using this recipe. It just consists of one zucchini cut in 1" slices, coconut oil, paprika, rosemary, fresh garlic and a little salt and pepper. This can also be a meal for me. If I am really hungry, I may have a Lara Bar with it.

I have a butternut squash sitting on my counter and I am going to make a butternut squash-broccoli dish. Or maybe a butternut squash soup that Martha Stewart made on the Today show a few weeks ago.

Getting Out Of The Big Apple To Go Apple Picking

This last Saturday was the annual Trinity Grace Church apple picking trip to Hurd's Family Farm in New Paltz, NY. It is so nice to get out of the city for a day and run around the farm. There were probably a total of 80 people that went this year. Each different missional community is responsible for arranging their own transportation and quite a few people either drive their cars or get a zip car for the day. I rode up with the Upper East Side missional community.

I love all the fall colors - whenever I do move back to AZ, I am definitely going to miss fall and the changing of the leaves.

Mike and I were both wearing pink socks. I was so happy I decided to wear knee high socks - weather.com said it was supposed to be a sunny day, but it turned out to be cloudy and colder than I thought it would be. I should have worn another layer - I don't think anyone was prepared for the cold.

I love these girls - Liz, Lindsay and Jessica Joy.

How tall are you?

Walking the apple orchards looking for apples actually on the trees. The only apples we could find growing on trees were Empire apples - I don't like that kind, but I made an apple crisp out of some of them last night and they were great in that.

We took a break and played some baseball. I hit the apple and shattered both it and the bat. Notice Liz's great pitching form.

No, don't eat the apple! Mike eventually ate the apple though :)

According to Lindsay, "we look good in the trees!"

The corn maze. We didn't do this - just watched others go through it.

Having some fun on the playground.

I came home with about 50 apples (a half bushel) so I have a lot of apples to eat and some baking to do. I already made an apple crisp...I still want to make an apple pie and some applesauce. Such a fun day - I heart my TGC family in NYC.

Sukkot Party

A few weeks ago, I celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot with some friends from church. One of the girls, Suzy, is a Messianic Jew, and she hosted the party at her apartment.

Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. "Now on the second day the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, 'Go out to the mountain and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.' Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. So the whole congregation of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was a very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly according to the prescribed manner." Nehemiah 8:13-18

Suzy and her boyfriend, Sergio, built a sukkah on the rooftop of her apartment, and we decorated it (see the paper chains in the background). Sergio did all the readings of the prayers both in Hebrew and in English.

Angela and I ate in the sukkah.

The view of Manhattan from the rooftop - it was such a gorgeous fall night in late September.

Michelle, Me, Suzy and Angela.

Bill and Michelle

The Old Testament principle of building the sukkah on an annual basis looks forward to the New Testament and our bodies being an earthly "tent" that will one day be destroyed when we are forever in heaven (2 Corinthians 5: 1-8). Maranatha!

True Foods

On my last night in AZ, Grandma took us to True Foods at the Biltmore. Thanks, Grandma!

CRUZER!!!

I just wanted to post these pictures because he is so darn cute!

He is a handful but he is fun. I am happy I made it to see him while he is still small.

Axis Radius

After the ASU game, we all went home and changed out of our maroon and gold so we could go to Axis for the rest of the night (really, it was early the next morning). None of us had been out in a LONG time, and the only reason we were going was because it was Aaron Cuoco's last night of dee jaying at Axis. Better known as DJ Swerv, Aaron had been the DJ at Axis for the last 10 years. When we were in college, Axis was our favorite place to go because Aaron would put us on the list so we wouldn't have to pay cover.

Lauren and I before leaving my parents' house. On my first night of going dancing back in 2001, Lauren brought me some clothes to borrow because I didn't have any "clubbing clothes" which back then consisted of a nice shirt and black pants - no jeans, they had to be black pants :) When I stopped going out dancing a lot a few years ago, jeans was what people wore. Now, the girls where cocktail dresses.

Lauren, Me, Kelly and Jenn.

We got glowsticks. I thought this was a cool picture of Lauren and Jason.

Jenn and DJ Swerv.

Paul and Aaron.

We stayed until 2am and closed down the place. Definitely the end of an era...I don't think I will ever go to Axis again. Lots of good memories though and fun nights of dancing with the Ukazu group. Thanks Aaron for always getting us on the VIP list!