Workin' on the weekend

(Please click the image for a larger view)

I'm working this Saturday to help install new computers at the office.  I got a good chuckle reading this comic the other day, especially since I knew I would soon be working on a weekend.  I realized I would rather be drenched with a water balloon thrown by a mud covered boy with an angry mom in the house than be at work on a Saturday.  Looks like the makings of an epic water balloon fight!

Peanut Butter Madness!

One of my oldest and most crowd pleasing recipes is what we refer to as the 'atom bomb.'  This sweet concoction is composed of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch, marshmallows, peanut butter, and M&M's.  It's quite a treat.

The first time I tried it is when Valerie worked as a teller.  One of her co-workers made it and I got to try a piece.  It was so good I asked her for the recipe on the spot and she was nice enough to give it to me.  I asked the co-worker what it was called, and she told me that her family called it an 'atom bomb', so the name stuck. Here's the recipe for all you peanut butter-marshmallow-chocolate lovers out there.

Atom Bomb
Printable Recipe

2 oz. butter
1 lb. of marshmallows
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 14 oz. box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch
2 cups M&M's (frozen)

Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan.  Once the butter is completely melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted.  To the melted marshmallows add the peanut butter and stir until combined, then add the vanilla extract and salt.  Remove mixture from the heat and add the Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch and gently stir to combine.  Pour mixture onto a buttered sheet pan and add frozen M&M's.  Using your hands or some buttered wax paper, fold the M&M's into the cereal mixture and press into the pan.  Let cool before serving.

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There are several ways to serve this tasty treat.  For a more sophisticated appearance it can be cut into squares.  For a more primitive approach, the whole thing could be left as a mound of peanut buttery goodness, and potential eaters could tear off chunks of it as they wish.  I personally prefer the 'mound' approach, but for more formal affairs, I cut it into squares.  It may not be one of my more nutritious recipes, but it sure does taste good!

One side note, I've never really been a fan of the name 'atom bomb.'  I've looked for variations of the recipe in the internet to see what others call it, and most people name it something like 'Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch Treats.'  That's a little too boring and mundane for me.  I've been trying to come up with a new fun name, but the perfect label escapes me.  'Peanut Butter Blast' is my best attempt.  I like it, but I think it could be better.  If anyone has any name suggestions, I'd love to hear them!  I know a lot of you are much better with words than I am.

Screen Dreams

Home improvement projects are not necessarily my forte, but sometimes duty calls and I am thrust upon a new task. To my delight, these tasks are most often given to me by my lovely wife. One such project has been on my 'to do' list for some time, and I recently completed it; with Valerie's help, no less. To be honest, though, there is nothing like the satisfaction of a job well done; especially if it is hard earned.

Our front porch has eleven removable panels. We have a set of glass panels, and a set of screen panels. I install the glass panels during the winter months, and install the screen panels for spring, summer, and fall. It is a nice option to have, as the screens allow for a nice breeze on the porch in the summer. Unfortunately, most of the screens became rusty over the years, and they really looked unattractive on the house. They looked so bad I didn't even install them last summer, and just kept the glass up year round. The porch got so uncomfortably hot last summer; we really didn't spend any time out there, so we decided we had to do something about those rusty screens.

Figuring it would cost a small fortune to have someone re-screen them for us, I looked into doing the project myself. Upon analyzing the screen panels, it was clear to see how they were assembled, and it was pretty basic. The screen frames are made of wood, and a piece of screen is just stretched across the opening. A small piece of trim is nailed into place to cover the edges of the screen. It seemed easy enough to disassemble the frame, remove the old screen, apply the new screen, and reassemble the frame. Once we had our game plan, we headed to the hardware store to get supplies.

Anxious to get to work, I got started on the screens as soon as we got home from the hardware store. I placed a screen panel on our picnic table and began taking off the trim. The trim came off without any problem, and I then proceeded to take off the old screen. Removing the old screen proved to be more difficult, but I was able to do it without much trouble. After the old screen was removed, I stretched the new screen over the panel and began nailing it in. I put a nail every two or three inches and pulled the screen in order to keep it tight. Once the new screen was on, I cut off any excess and hammered the trim back on. One down, ten to go.

It took me a little less than an hour to get that first screen finished. The work wasn't difficult at all, just time consuming. In order to cut down on the time it took to finish a panel, I recruited Valerie to do the dismantling for me. She happily obliged, and we were a force to be reckoned with. She would get the old screen off in about the same amount of time it took me to get a new one on. It was a great system.

It took us two days to get it done, probably a total of eight hours of work, and the porch looks wonderful! It was definitely worth the effort, and it is so nice to feel the breeze on the front porch again.

Spring Bouquet

I just can't get enough of this springtime splendor. It has been a spring for the ages with the warm weather and beautiful flowers everywhere I look. The sensational fragrance that accompanies some of the flowers is only matched by their beauty. To my delight, we have some of the more wonderful scents of spring blossoming right outside our windows.

We have a lilac bush outside our dining room window which was in full bloom again this year. It is an older plant, and has grown to be quite large. It is still going strong, though, and it is one of Valerie's favorites.  It has a lovely fragrance, and we usually have a vase with some of its flowering branches sitting on the table.

New to our landscaping is a Burkwood Daphne, or 'Carol Mackie' shrub. It was by my insistence that we bought this shrub, and I wanted it because of scent alone. The fragrance that comes from its petite white flowers is my definition of what spring should smell like. We planted it by the porch and its aroma sometimes wafts through our living room windows. Every time I walk past it, I have to stop and smell the flowers. I've done it so much, Ari and Emilie do the same thing when they walk by.

Acer palmatum

Young leaves on the Japanese Maple in our front yard.

Super Mario Galaxy 2...May 23rd!

Mark your calendars!  The sequel to arguably the best game on the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, will be hitting the shelves on May 23rd.  One month from today, in fact.

I just want to spread the word.  It's not like I'm excited or anything...

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YOSHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the trailer:

Oh, Mario, you've come a long way since 1985.

Merry Earth Day!

Unfortunately, I did not take this picture. It was taken by the Lunar Orbiter 1 spacecraft in 1966. This image is among the first views of Earth from the Moon, and shows the Earth rising above the lunar surface. An "Earthrise", if you will.

Today is Earth Day, and Ari has been all about Earth Day this year. He keeps asking what we are going to do, so I think we will take him on a trip to the recycling center, or maybe transplant some of our young plants outside.

He also asked if anyone would be coming over in the middle of the night, à la Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We told him there would be no visitors in the night to bring him Earth Day surprises.

But, why not? Maybe next year, there will be a sapling, a tomato plant, or some nice flowers brought overnight by Mother Nature or some other Earth Day ambassador. That would be something fun to do for the kids; something to make Earth Day a little more special. Plus, think of the money that could be made by exploiting Earth Day!  It's virtually an untapped market!

Let's hear it for the over-commercialization of Earth Day! I want my Reese's peanut butter earths!

Hanafuda Cards

I was referred to Club Nintendo by a fellow co-worker who shares my passion for gaming. She told me about the site and how they have some exclusive Nintendo merchandise available. I was intrigued, so I checked it out one evening. In order to participate, I had to join the club, and then register my games in order to accumulate 'coins'; I could then redeem the 'coins' for Nintendo merchandise.


I decided to join Club Nintendo and I started registering all my Wii and DS games. It took me a while since I had accumulated a lot of games over the past four years or so. I couldn't just type in the registration code either; I had to answer several questions about the game as well.  Once I registered all my games, I looked to see what product I wanted to purchase with my 'coins'. One item jumped out at me right away, the Hanafuda Cards.


I remembered reading a long time ago how Nintendo started out as a card company in the late 1800's. I didn't know what kind of cards they made, but I thought it was interesting that the company started so long ago. Seeing these Hanafuda Cards, I knew I wanted them; I could a piece of Nintendo history! So, I ordered the cards and anxiously waited for them to arrive in the mail.


The cards came rather quickly, and when I opened the box, I was surprised how small they were. They came in a protective case with a picture of Mario on it. There are 48 Hanafuda cards in the set, and they measure 2.2 x 1.25 inches each. Some of them have Nintendo themed artwork, such as Mario and Yoshi, while others have floral designs. The cards are quite nice, actually.


The card set also came with instructions on how to play the two player game "Koi-Koi." I haven't yet played the game. I read the instructions and could not follow them whatsoever. But hey, at least I have the cards, if only for aesthetic purposes. I also still have a balance of 'coins' on Club Nintendo, so more Nintendo goodies may be coming my way soon!

Strawberry shortcake

A springtime delight.  I used to be partial to strawberry shortcake made with a base of sponge cake, but now I prefer the more traditional sweet biscuit shortcake (as pictured above).  I have been making my own shortcake for a few years now, and I just love the flavor and texture it brings to the party.  Here is the shortcake recipe I use:

Shortcake
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Printable Recipe

8 shortcakes

Ingredients
2 cups flour (12 ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (2 ounces) plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ounce), plus one tablespoon melted butter for brushing
2 tablespoons shortening (2 ounces)
3/4 cup half and half
Macerated strawberries
Whipped cream

Directions
Heat oven 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening with your fingers. Mix in half-and-half until a sticky batter forms. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown. Turn out into a kitchen towel lined basket and cool 10 minutes before making strawberry shortcake.

This recipe is a cinch if you already know how to make biscuits from scratch.  If not, it is crucial to know what consistency the dough needs to be before baking.  3/4 cup of half and half may not be enough or it may be too much depending on a variety of factors.  So, add it slowly and keep adding it until a slightly sticky and integrated dough forms.  You do not want the dough to be sticky, nor do you want there to be crumbs.  It takes a little practice and patience, but the result is worth it.

Also, I macerate my strawberries by adding sugar to sliced strawberries and letting them sit for at least an hour to let the strawberries release some of their juices.  There are more complicated ways to do it, but I prefer this simple way.  Assemble the strawberry shortcake however you see fit, then proceed to consume in mass quantities!

Strawberry Huller (Multitasker variety)

One of the best tips I have ever received from Alton Brown was to use a star decorating tip as a strawberry huller. This thing works like a charm, and I already had one in my kitchen! Just pierce the top of the strawberry and scoop to remove the hull without wasting any of the fruit. Give the tip it a little shake to expel the removed hull and move on to the next strawberry. It's a piece of cake, and eliminates any urge to buy a unitasker to get the job done. Thanks for the great 'tip' AB!