Fast DC Weekend!

One of the advantages to being out east for two weeks is the weekend! Mom made the trip from Illinois to spend about 40 hours with me here in the DC area, including a day of walking around the national monuments in Washington, DC. What a thrill to figure out the Metro, get the fare right, and get to the right place. We felt so "metro"!! A brisk wind kept Mom's hood up and my hat on as we walked out way west to the Word War II monument (pictured above). I love this picture of Mom next to the columns of the Lincoln Memorial (below)looking east toward the Washington Memorial and the White House.

We walked on to the Korean Memorial, a spooky, erie, and enchanting monument to the soldiers of that war. Then north back over to the Vietnam Memorial past the long wall of names. A park ranger presentation helped us learn a bit more about that emotional tribute.

We then began walking to the east. Landing at the back entrance of the Natural History Museum, we (especially me) had one thought in mind and it wasn't a woolly mammoth; it was lunch. Amongst a crowd of squalling children we dined. I liked it much better outside! So there we went, in search of the aquarium. In a dark space filled with bubbling aquariums, we viewed electric eels, poisonous frogs and the coolest sea urchins ever!! On then to the Red Cross headquarters to realize there was no reason to come there!! Our feet were very tired.

We turned directions and sighted in to a southeast trek back to the Washington Monument. A pause on top of the polished white marble benches and onward to the Metro. Our day was completed with a fine meal shared with Michael's family; father Earl, mother Janet, brother Steven, sister-in-law Victoria,and nephew Taylor. As I write this, she is still traveling. Thanks Mom, for a great weekend! It was a wonderful diversion from the week of study ahead here at the National Fire Academy (final picture).

Happy Weekend!

Ah, the joy of a day off! Some of you should get this posting immediately, if all works. I'm trying to upgrade my blog site. Please try to "become a follower". It may require a yahoo or google account, but both are free and easy to set up.

I have been advised that I should be on a wheat free, dairy free, egg free diet due to allergies. I've worked at this for a month now and am somewhat convinced that I might actually feel better. But can you imagine that kind of diet? So today's posting is for any of you who want to try a non-wheat bread (trust me, if you don't have to, don't!). The recipe requires strange ingrediants as follows:

2 1/4 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
3 T. sugar
1 T. egg substitute
1/2 c. dry milk powder (I used water)
2 1/4 t. yeast
3 eggs (I used 3 T. ground flax/12 T water pureed)
1 t. cider vinegar
3 T walnut oil
1/2 c. warm water

The process of making this bread began with the discovery that Butch, the garbage can hound, snuck off with the bag of xanthan gum last night while we were out to celebrate Jason Wright's 43rd birthday (how did he get so old???). I found the torn open bag in the back yard with enough left for the recipe. I wonder how that is making old Butch feel today? So far, he seems fine.

Anyway, you throw the drys together (mix them up well) and the wets together (give the yeast time to grow), put it all in the big mixer and try for something that looks like bread. Spray a bread pan, plop the stuff in and let it sit somewhere warm a good hour or more to rise. Bake 30-40 minutes at 325 and you're set. Here's the actual link if you want to check it out. Just click on Rice Bread.Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and we are party-bound in the afternoon to Spotted Horse Ranch for the festivities! Michael found a GREAT chicken wing recipe which you can find at this link Great Wings. I don't know why you'd even waist your time of rice bread when you could be making these wings!

So enough for now. Let me know if you actually got this new posting and have a great weekend!!