#74 Learn a new recipe--not a dessert 9/24/2011

I have actually been trying quite a few new recipes.  I made Hot Pepper Jam for the first time this year.  I planted jalapenos peppers just for the jam.  I do like the way it tastes.  If you have ever had Sweet Chili Sauce, you have an idea of how it tastes.  I first tasted Sweet Chili Sauce in Australia.  They serve it with french fries and sour cream.  It is so good!!!!!! 

 I also tried making Salsa for the first time.  I am not much of a tomato eater, so this is really a stretch for me.  I used my Aunt LaVerne's recipe...with a few tweaks of course  :)  It turned out really good, I haven't gotten any bad press from anyone.  Jenni said that she ate a half of jar the first time she tasted it.  I think I added more jalapenos than it called for just because I had them.  I have to thank the people that donated garden produce to make it possible...my Mom and my friend Becky.

The last recipe that I would like to talk about is Drunken Chili.  I have it every year that I go to the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee.  They serve it in a bread bowl and there is only one stand that has it.  It isn't on the menu, you have to ask for it.  They fill half the bowl with chili and then fill the rest of the bowl with beer cheese soup.  So I have to thank Jerome for giving me the cook book where I found both of the recipes.  The recipes included Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream (my all time favorite).  The chili recipe was labeled Wendy's Chili and the Beer Cheese soup was from the 101st Airborne.  Being unable to follow directions, I added extras to each because I had them.  I have to admit it turned out really good.  I brought it to a potluck and there was only one serving of chili left.  There was more beer cheese soup, but I don't think that everyone knew to mix them together.  I will definitely make them again.  I just hope they turn out as well since I changed the recipes.

#32 Visit 5 new places on my bike 9/3/11

I love to ride my motorcycle.  The first time I got on a bike was when I was in High school and a guy asked if I wanted a ride home.  So, without a helmet, and knowing that my parents would be furious if they found out, I hopped on.  I knew the instant we took off that I would end up owning a bike.  It is almost like you are flying.  When I made this list I had nobody to ride with.  I wanted to make sure that I would get out on my bike the next summer.  My 5 rides started on Memorial Day Weekend with some friends from BE.  We drove around the Clearwater, Elk River area.  I'm not even sure where we went.  We ended up at my house because the guys didn't want me to have to drive an hour home by myself (very sweet of them).  I made supper for them as a thank you.

The second ride was a BE organized ride.  BE has a silent auction every spring to raise money.  For a few years now, some of the guys with bikes have sold their back seats with lunch for the fund raiser.  We went around Rockville and ended up in Hutchinson for lunch.  The third ride was to my friend Trina's cabin by Brainerd.  I had a route all planned out, unfortunately I got turned around in St. Cloud and lost my trail.  I then picked it up around Rice.  But Stearns County sucked me in and I spent a couple of hours going in circles.  The joke now is that Stearns county will always get me lost.  I tried to stop and ask for directions, but the corn field just didn't want to tell me anything.

The fourth ride was to see my grandparents graves in Onamia.  We then picked up Jeff's Mom and drove around Mille Lacs Lake.  It was a really good time with ice cream stops along the way, which was a good thing since it was such a hot day.  Trina took this picture from the back of Jeff's bike.  We were all over, Onamia, Rush Point, Zimmerman  were some of the stops.  I got home at midnight after driving through thick fog that kept me from seeing through my face shield.  I tried to wipe it off, but then I just smeared the bug guts all over.  The last 20 miles wasn't very fun.

The 5th ride was to Lake Itasca (where the Mississippi starts).  We had 6 riders and 4 bikes.  Have I mentioned that I love riding with this group?  The guys give my bike the once over before we take off and let me know if anything looks suspicious.  They have been telling me all summer that I am going to need a new front tire soon.  Jeff actually fixed my right front blinker for me before we went on the last ride.  It was a cold day and we dressed in many layers.  I drove to Alexandria on friday night  (met Jeff on the way, not a planned thing) and Ken, Glen and Sarah met us on saturday morning.  Things went really well.  We saw a lot of Sand Hill Cranes in the fields.  Itasca is beautiful.

We stopped in Dorset for supper.  Dorset is a small town with 7 restaurants where even a cat can be the mayor.  All you have to do is pay a dollar and put your name in the jar to be drawn for the mayor in July.   By the time we got to Long Prairie it was dark.  I had a little heart stopper in Eagle Bend when a little dog ran out in front of me.  I have no idea how I didn't hit him.  I'm glad I didn't, Glen said that a little boy was watching it all happen from the sidewalk with a look of horror on his face.  In Long Prairie we stopped for gas, the guys checked out my tire like they had been doing all day and discovered that there were cords showing.  Not a good thing.  After some debate and me being a stubborn german, I agreed to let them trailer my bike from St. Cloud home.  So off to St. Cloud we went being very careful about left turns.  In St. Cloud the guys loaded my bike on Jeff's truck and Glen offered to drive me home and bring Jeff's truck back for him.  Jeff went to Alexandria to drop off Trina.  I am very grateful to all of my friends for their concern and help.  I guess for the rest of the year I am going to have to be a passenger.  That will be fun too.

I hope to ride again next year with this group (after a new tire is put on).  They are great and we have fun adventures.

#37 participate in Postcrossing 8/29/11

This idea originated from my sister Rachel.  It is a whole lot of fun and  I am just getting started.  When you sign up for this site you request an address and then you send a random person a postcard.  After that person gets your card they register it on the web site and then you are eligible to receive a postcard. The nice thing about this is that you don't have to say much, I always struggle on what to say to people when I write a letter.  I have sent out 8 postcards so far and received one.  It was very exciting to get a postcard in the mail instead of ads or bills.  I am looking forward to both getting and sending more cards.

#88 Do the 30 day picture challenge 8/5/11

Floating around in facebook cyber-space is a 30 day picture challenge.  The instructions are to post a picture a day for 30 days.  It begins with a picture of yourself and 15 facts.  I tried to use pictures that I had taken whenever possible.  It was fun, but I kept forgetting to post everyday,so I sometimes posted for two days or when we went camping for the four days we were gone.  I would do another one, it made me think about things a little different, like who could you not imagine your life without.