Tuesdays with Dorie: Blueberry Pie

I don't know that I had ever even had blueberry pie before I made this one, but it sounded so good I just had to make it.  I figured Thanksgiving week was the perfect time to try it since we were allowed to do a "rewind."

My family really enjoyed this pie in all its blueberry goodness with its flaky, buttery crust.  It's definitely a keeper.

I mentioned to my OB that I had made a blueberry pie for Thanksgiving.  She told me about her famous "Mile High, Blueberry Pie" and I thought some of the components sounded like something I'd love to try.  One things she adds to her pie is a layer of cream cheese on the bottom.  YUM!  She also makes a sauce with smashed blueberries, water and cornstarch and cooks it on the stove.  I really love it when pies have a sauce made from the berries of the pie.

This pie doesn't need any playing around to taste good, but these changes sound too good not to try!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Peanuttiest Blondies

The Peanuttiest Blondies were actually the recipe of the week two weeks ago, but I found myself needing to make treats for a Priesthood Preview.  I thought this recipe would be perfect for the occasion.  I also made Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars and Allspice Molasses Cookies.

Full of spices and peanuts, these Peanuttiest Blondies chock-full of tasty goodness.  If you would like the recipe, check out Bakeology by Nicole.  Not only can you find the recipe under the November 2nd entry, but she has a great blog too.

Egypt: How Could I Have Forgotten?

I just now remembered something that happened to us in Egypt that I want the boys to read and laugh about when they are older.

First of all, let me preface this story by telling you that when we were in Giza, many males were very persistent in trying to get us to buy some over-priced head pieces to shelter us from the sand.  They were successful too, not only because we wanted some relief from the sand, but because they were tireless and "in-your-face" like a mosquitos that just wouldn't go away.  These people were more aggressive in their selling tactics than anyone else we had any encountered, and we have come across our fair share of unrelenting street vendors.

So when a complete stranger (male) offered me 200 camels for my boys,  I was completely taken off guard.  I managed to reply that they weren't for sale in my complete and utter amazement that someone had just offered to BUY my boys.  Ha ha ha, funny, right?  Well, a little later on another complete stranger (again, male) said, "A boy?  Oh, TWO boys?  How many camels?"  Seriously?!?  I started to wonder if they were sincere in their offers.

Later someone told me that it's a common joke and they heard that in England too.  Umm really?  'Cause nobody offerer me any camels (or anything else for that matter) for my boys both times I went there.  I really can't imagine that happening anywhere in Europe.  If it did, I'd probably find it pretty funny and start bargaining, but I didn't find it funny in Egypt.  It just wasn't too far out of the scope of my imagination for that to really happen there--boys being sold (or kidnapped) for camels!

Marmaris, Turkey

We made one stop in Turkey and it was in the resort town of Marmaris.  

The main attraction there was the shopping.  There were a ton of imitation brands there and things were inexpensive.  For example, I bought a pair of black "Jimmy Choo" high heels for 10 Euro.  You can't beat that!

We did take a look around the town, and walked to the fort that was there.

I would love to see this town during the summer.  I'm sure it's fabulous.  

Imagination At Work

Yesterday, we went to Guadalupe State Park with some other moms and preschool-age kids from the ward. The boys had the time of their lives playing in the river, on the playground and with the other children.  When we cam home, Jonathan repeatedly asked if we could go "camp" again.  He busily set up a small table with an umbrella and kid-sized chairs in the kitchen, but still wasn't satisfied.

Today, he and Erik built a "house."  I was actually pretty impressed with their creativity.

You can't tell from the picture, but it was fairly roomy inside and was stocked with food and drink (water, bread and a box of Cheerios).  I can only surmise that this was an extension of Jonathan's desire to go camping.

Egypt

Who doesn't remember studying Egypt in their world history class in the 6th grade?  For a long time, I have found Egypt's history to be fascinating and mysterious.  So naturally, I wanted to visit there while we lived in Germany.  Our cruise ship docked in the Port of Alexandria, but we didn't spend much time there.  We met our guide and were soon speeding down the highway to visit Cairo and Giza.  I'd have to say that one day in Egypt is not long enough! 

The feeling there was  different from any other country I have ever been to.  There were a number of military men guarding the city against potential terrorist threats with their M16-looking rifles.  It was a little unnerving to be honest.

 I have no idea what this building is.  I just liked the architecture.

When we arrived in Cairo, we went to the Egyptian Museum.  There we saw many interesting artifacts (which we were not allowed to photograph) and learned many things...well, sort of.  With two little boys, it was difficult to hear everything the guide was saying.  In retrospect, I wish we would have spent more time at the pyramids and at the market than at the museum.

On our way to Giza, we ate Kushari: a dish made of rice, lentils, chickpeas, macaroni, garlic, spicy tomato sauce and topped with fried onions.  We all really liked it.  Kushari is on of the most popular and common dishes in Egypt.

In Giza, it was very windy and wind=dust!  The Egyptians kept telling us that the weather was usually better, but it sure gave us an appreciation for pavement!  The pyramids were interesting, but for some reason they looked different than I had imagined.  I wish we had been able to go inside, but we didn't have time.

The Great Pyramid of Giza a.k.a. Pyramid of Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and largest of the 
three pyramids in Giza.

As the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (and only one that is still largely in tact) it was believed to be built as a tomb for the Pharo Khufu.  It took 14 to 20 years to construct and has been standing since approximately 2560 B.C.

This Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure of more than 3,800 years, which--not surprisingly--is a record for that designation.

The three "Queens Pyramids."  Possibly for Khufu's two wives and mother or perhaps for three wives.

After seeing the pyramids, we went for a camel ride.  My guide was a young Egyptian man who was very enthusiastic about the election of Obama.  Our conversation went something like this:

Egyptian Man:  Obama!
Me: (not wanting to die on my camel ride) Yep, he's our President!
Egyptian Man: (Holding two thumbs up) Obama!
Me: (wishing he would drop the subject I forced a smile) Yeah, Obama!

Getting the camel up off the ground into a standing position was something I was not prepared for.  The camel lifted his hind legs putting us at a seriously sharp angle before getting his front legs into a standing postition.  I thought we were going to fall off!  I held onto Jonathan as tight as I could.

To this day, the boys go on "camel rides" instead of "horsey rides" with Daddy. 

Originally Erik was going to go with Landon, but we decided it was too windy and dusty.  Someone in our party took him back to the van to wait for us.

Doesn't the camel look smug and untrustworthy?

Coming back from our camel ride.
This picture, taken by Megan Shafer, won second place in a photo contest on our cruise.

We also saw "The Great Sphinx of Giza."

What ever happened to that nose?

Our last stop was the market in Cairo.  It's quite a famous market and there are a lot of neat things to look at and buy for next to nothing.  I really wish we had had more time to spend there.  We did buy some glass balls that looked like Christmas ornaments (we try to collect them everywhere we go), a cool chess set, a headdress and Dominoes for the boys.

Athens, Greece

Almost two years have passed since we left on our Christmas Mediterranean  cruise.  We went with two other families: the Shafers and the Meldroms.  It was nearly two weeks of touring countries like Greece, Turkey, and Egypt.  It was interesting to spend Christmas in these countries since a couple of them were not Christian.  I do remember being pleasantly surprised in Turkey when they make an effort to greet us with an ornament and a Christmas tree since we disembarked there on Christmas day.

So now I begin the tall task of recording it all.  First stop on this blogging adventure: Athens, Greece.

Below you will see various pictures of  the Acropolis.  The Acropolis is a group of buildings or theaters on a hill. The most famous being the Parthenon.

View of Athens

View of Athens and Mars Hill

The Parthenon is a temple that stands at the heart of the Acropolis.  It was built between 447 and 432 B.C. during the "Golden Age of Pericles."  It was amazing to be near such ancient and magnificent stuctures.

Erik is 9 months and Jonathan is almost 3.

The Odeum of Herodes (located just below the gates to the Acropolis) is an ancient theater that still holds concerts and other events.

A closer look at the Odeum of Herodes

Below is the Temple of the Olympian Zeus or Olempieion.  It is a famous landmark in Athens.  This temple was made with pre-cut marble and was once the largest temple in Greece.  If you look closely at the pillar that is laying on the ground, you can see the the marble was pre-cut.  It was completed during the Roman empire under Emperor Hadrian.  During the 3rd century AD, it was pillaged during a barbarian invasion.  Later, much the temple was quarried for building materials.

This famous porch, located on the south side of the Eretheion, is supported by six
maidens called Caryatids.

The Erectheion

Aeropegus Rock, or Mars Hill, is a place where the Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court met.
According to Greek legend, Ares (the god of war--also called Mars by the Romans), was tried here by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios.   Hence the various names of the hill.

In Biblical times, the Apostle Paul preached his famous sermon about "The Identity of the Unknown God" here.  (See Acts 17beginning with verse 15.)

Jonathan on Mars Hill

Of course the boys loved this dog who was wandering around on Mars Hill.  All strays in Athens are tagged and given shots.  They eat from the hands of kind Athenians.

Erik and Landon

It was amazing to think that I was standing in the same area where the Apostle Paul preached.

Panathenaic Stadium--home to the first modern-day Olympic Games held in 1896.

We saw other famous building in downtown Greece, but none of the pictures turned out since they were taken from the bus.

All in all, it was amazing to walk in such a historic place.  When I think of all the Greek ruins that I have seen in other places (like Berlin), I have to wonder what this city originally looked like.  It must have been amazing.

Pumpkin Patch