Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Cats and Cross-country
“You can’t see me, right?” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは!
Today’s post title are two unrelated things, but whatever… I don’t really care.
First, the cats! 🐱🐱 My goodness they are crazy. Although they are sisters, they have definitely got their own personalities. I’d have to say that Anko, the tuxedo cat, is the stranger of the two.. she has a goofy way about her. As you can see in the photo above, she loves to hide and act silly. And her favorite position to nap in is on her back. Bizarre!
“Comfy Space” Cedar Park, 2016
The calico, Yuzu, acts more like a big sister, taking care of Anko and grooming her. But she also has a little bit of a mean streak, and is super-sneaky. And she uses her teeth and claws to great effect. If you are relaxing with a blanket over you, watch out for your toes!
“After the Race” Cedar Park, 2016
And the other subject of this post is that Koa has had his first Cross-country meet!
There were four middle schools competing today and his school came in second overall, with Koa placing 55th. He said he had a lot of fun and enjoys running. 🏃 I love that.
I think it’s pretty cool that he is in cross-country, since both my brother and I ran cross-country in high school. I really never expected either of my kids to run in school, so this is a pleasant surprise!
I didn’t see this first meet, so this photo was taken when I picked him up back at his school. I wanted to get him in his cross-country uniform, but he had already changed. 😞 Anyways, the photo is not that great, with that distracting tire on the left side, the tree sticking out of the top of Koa’s head, and the car hitting him from behind, but I like his smile and that the photo marks a little bit of history. 😊
I hope you had a nice Tuesday!
おやすみなさい！
– B 
Today’s ⛅
“Today’s Cloud” Leander, 2016
Had a great day today, but I think I’ll just share this photo of a cloud that Bay and I saw when we went to his school’s open house this evening. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of making cloud photos. 😄
おやすみなさい！
– バロン
🎶 Tycho – Hours
Have a great Monday!
First Dish – Spaghetti with Meatballs
“Spaghetti Time” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Here in Texas it’s still very warm out. Today reached a high of 90° F (32° C) so it still feels like summer. But it’s a perfect temperature for me! I love it. 🌞
This afternoon my fifteen-year-old son Bay prepared his first meal for the family! It’s a simple but delicious spaghetti recipe that we’ve had in the family for years so it was a perfect introduction to cooking. 🍝 He’ll be going off to college in a couple of years so we thought it would be good for him to get some experience in the kitchen.
“Making Meatballs” Cedar Park, 2016
I helped Bay dice the onions and garlic, then saute those in olive oil. He measured out all the spices and opened all the cans of tomatoes. The recipe calls for meatballs, so he ground the beef in the Kitchen Aid grinder using a 2 lb. cut of chuck roast, then combined with all the other ingredients and formed the meatballs. Next, he browned them in the skillet and added them to the sauce.
He also cooked some hot Italian sausages and added those to the sauce. Part of making the recipe his own was slicing the sausages in a different way, and making the meatballs a smaller size than I usually do. There were a couple other “safe” deviations from the standard recipe, for instance, adding more egg to the meatballs, going without breadcrumbs, etc. It was a chance for Bay to make this spaghetti his own.
Lastly, he boiled the water, cooked, and drained the noodles. Then it was time to eat! 🍴
“Spaghetti Dinner” Cedar Park, 2016
I was pleased that Bay wanted to cook and was enthusiastic throughout the entire process, And Koa (his 12-year-old brother) said that the spaghetti was delicious. I think that made Bay feel pretty good! 😄
This dish is a perfect one for him to know because it is easy and delicious, plus it would be easy to adjust the amount depending on how many people will be eating.
Bay’s first meal was a huge success and I’m confident that my mom’s spaghetti recipe will be passed on to the next generation. 😊
Hope you had a nice weekend!
おやすみなさい！
– B
