10 Random Things, Colorado-Style (posted by Lani)

1. We've had quite the interesting spring here. After a very cold but very dry winter where it barely snowed at all even though we hit -20 on a fairly regular basis, it's done nothing BUT snow in April and well into May. We're actually forecast to get snow showers again tonight. We need the moisture -- after the Fourmile Fire last year and the Golden Fire earlier this year everyone who lives in the mountains is running scared. Still, what you see in these pictures isn't exactly what you expect to see going into Memorial Day weekend.

2. After all the late snow we've been very worried about our hummingbirds, so I'm happy to report that the snow has melted over the last couple of days and the hummers have stuck their pointy little beaks out from wherever they've been hiding and are eating me out of house and home and sugar-water. The fox is plump and happy, which may have something to do with why there seems to be a scarcity of chipmunks this year. The bear has been notably absent from our yard, although he's been seen down the road from us.

3. Jim had a SUPER semester, all As and Bs, and is taking another full load over the summer. He's very positive about school and seems to be taking it very seriously, which makes me very proud and very happy.

4. One of the things that has kept me busy is taking some courses at the Culinary Institute of the Rockies just for the fun of it. Steve offered to pay for a couple of courses for me, and I offered to pay for Jim to join me (such dedication to school deserves a reward!). We decided to take two courses, Sushi Madness and Dim Sum ... and the Dim Sum course was so much fun we took the followup, And Den Sum, the next week. Here are a couple of snaps of Jim (and other class members) during the sushi class.

5. What did we learn in our sushi class? Glad you asked! We learned to make sushi rice, of course, and we learned how to make all sorts of rolls, both inside-out and regular. Our first rolls were, well, not very roll-ish; but we got better, and while none of us are going to give professional sushi chefs a run for their money by the end of the class everyone could put together a respectable looking roll. We learned how to make nigiri, which I never knew was so complicated. We learned how to choose fresh fish, which was something I really wanted to know, and got tips on where to get good fish in Colorado. AND we learned that we really enjoy taking these classes. Steve has already reaped the benefits of our new-found culinary education; I made him a sushi dinner on the Sunday after this class.

6. And the dim sum classes? I loved those more than the sushi class, which I wouldn't have believed going into it. Here's the list of recipes from the two dim sum classes; we made every single thing on this list, and ate until we waddled out the door of the institute swearing we'd never eat again.

Basic Yeast Dough and
Roast Pork, which combine to make
Steamed Buns with Roast Pork Filling (Char Siu Bao)
Potstickers
Scallion Cakes
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Pork Dumplings with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Wheat Starch Dumpling Dough, used to make
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
Chicken, Sausage and Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves (He Ye Bao)
Braised Chinese Broccoli
Crap Shao Mai
Hot & Spicy Squid
Garlic-Stewed Spareribs
Golden Phoenix Claws (chicken feet in black bean sauce)
Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
Pearl Balls (steamed pork balls in glutinous rice)
Ma T'uan (Sesame Seed Balls)
Mango Pudding
Custard Tartlets

Steve has been happy we took this class too, since Jim and I have made Char Siu Bao, Potstickers, Boiled Pork Dumplings and Scallion Cakes already and we're planning another dim sum meal this week. He absolutely loves the Bao and has made me swear to keep the freezer stocked with them so that he can have spur of the moment steamed pork bun lunches.

7. Third Sister is coming to visit in a couple of weeks! I'm very excited and have been trying to put together a list of fun things to do while she's here. She's only here for a few days though and I don't want to pack too much in .. I want some time to just relax and enjoy having her here. And of course some time to play with her pasta-maker attachment for my KitchenAid so I know whether I want to buy one for myself or not ;)

8. All the cats are doing well, as is Jesse. Resk is amazingly healthy and happy and well adjusted, especially considering everything he's been through. He also gets along well with all of the other cats with the exception of occasional run-ins with Onyx, who is very jealous of his human, and it isn't uncommon to see cat-piles on the bed.

9. We broke down and bought a king-sized bed. Six cats? It was self-defense.

10. What #9 means is that we now have a spare bedroom again (Jim having moved into the previous spare bedroom meant that for a while there wasn't one). Guests are welcome. Hint, hint.