Stuttering Produce Police

 I grew up in California and when I got married I moved out of the state.  Except for a short lapse in sanity for about 6 months living in Riverside and working in Tustin in Southern California I haven't looked back.  My parents still live in CA and so does Don's family. Therefore, we go and visit them at least once a year.

 We often fly, but now that flight tickets are getting expensive and offering less.......we opted to drive.  Now we have driven this route many times so you would think that we would remember that at the boarder entering into CA there is a produce inspection station.  Apparently they don't want produce brought into the state that carry disease or insects that can destroy crops and therefore the produce economy.

Now I think this would work except for the fact that so much fruit and produce gets in anyway, through uninspected cars, airplanes, and illegals coming in from the south. We have driven through this inspection station for years and there were several times when it was closed and you go right on through. Personally, I think this is a way to keep public (Union) employees employed.

What was really funny is that our inspection agent was Asian and stuttered.  It was impossible to understand him.  He saw our ice chest and said....."aaaaa yyyyyoooo c c c aaaa ry vvvveg-e-ttt-a-bbboes  o  ffffff-rrr-tt?  I mmmus ch-ch-ch-chk cccccooola.

I had purchased these beautiful cherries and kept them in the cooler to keep cold so we could enjoy them while driving across the hot desert.  The agent had taken apples and oranges from the car occupant in front of us and we had apples and a banana in the cooler too, but he didn't want those.  He wanted the cherries!  I said, "I want to eat these so we will pull over up there and eat them."  He looked a bit disappointed but said it was okay.  Before we could drive over to the parking area he took our license plate number and asked where we were going in CA.  I ask you.....why does he need that info.  Was he going to chase us down if we decided to bolt?  Was he going to charge us with cherry abduction?  He then filled out a yellow "Certification of Inspection to be Retained While in California" form and handed it to us.  We were now identified as a"Travelers who eat cherries while driving!" threat.  Are we on some kind of terrorist list now? Actually I think he was getting his lunch together and also product for the fruit stand his family operates down the road.

California......who has hijacked reality in this state? These inspections stations just confirm another government plan that doesn't work, gives high paying jobs to people how can't speak let alone be fluent in English, and funds it all with my (and your) money.  What a hoot!

Fun at Santa's Workshop in Colorado Springs

Today we went to Santa's Workshop in Woodland Park, west of Colorado Springs. For around $15 a ticket you can ride on everything.  There are a variety of rides, most of which are for small children. You can visit Santa, have packages sent postmarked North Pole, Colorado, see a magic show, feed rain deer, get faces painted, ride in the world's tallest Ferris Wheel,  listen to Christmas music, and much more. 

You can find out more about it by going to this link, http://www.santas-colo.com/. My daughter went on line and found discount coupons.  Try this link, http://www.santas-colo.com/coupon.htm.

We had a ball watching the kids have a ball.  There are plenty of places to eat, shop, and sit.  The bathrooms were clean.  All in all it's a great way to spend the day with the Grandkids!

Grampa's Princesses

 Girls love to be princesses.  They love to be loved, feel loved, and to love.  They love a man who will guide, protect, care for, and have fun.  But they especially want to know that they are loved beyond any reason, and that there is nothing they can do to be separated from that love.  Don loves his granddaughters this way.  They are his princesses.  Anyone messing with them will have to reckon with him....after they reckon with their daddy first.  Their Daddy is the same way.  I am really blessed to have such wonderful men taking care of my princesses.

Lemon Cream Daisy Cake

This is a Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Filling.  I wanted it to be very lemony so I used parts of recipes and put this together.  For the cake:

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 3/4 cups water
3 egg whites

Prepare thee eight inch round cake pans by lining with parchment paper, spraying with cooking spray and then lightly flour.  Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix and pudding mix together.  Add water and eggs.  Beat on low for one minute and then medium high for four minutes. Pour cake batter evenly into the three pans.  Tap pans, (lightly drop-tap on counter) to remove excess bubbles.  Place in center of oven and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.  Turn out on cooling racks to cool completely.  Trim tops off cake with a cake trimmer or long serrated knife so that cakes will be even when stacking.

 Filling:
1 small package lemon pie filling (Cook n Serve)
1 TLB fresh grated lemon peel

Cook as directed on package and add lemon peel. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 TLBS Lemon flavoring

Beat whip cream for one minute.  Add lemon flavoring and beat until stiff peaks.  Fold in cooled lemon pie filling and mix until well incorporated on low or fold in by hand.

Lemon Flavoring:

To make cake extra moist spray generously or brush with pastry brush on each layer of cake the following:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 TLBS fresh lemon peel

Cook in sauce pan until sugar is dissolved.  Strain.  Place in spray bottle or leave in bowl until ready to use. 

Place bottom layer of cake on cake dish top side down.  Generously spray with flavoring.  Spoon on filling about 1 inch thick and 1/2 inch from edges.  Place second layer on top of filling top side down and repeat.  Place the third layer on top and repeat.  Place in freezer while making Lemon Butter Cream Frosting.

Lemon Butter Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 TLB Meringue Powder
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream

Place all ingredients in deep mixing bowl and mix well.  If you have filling from the cake layers left over place it in this mixture and mix well.  Frost very cold cake thinly and evenly and place back in refrigerator to chill again.  Put final layer of frosting on cake and place back in refrigerator. This cake needs to remain in the refrigerator until about 1/2 hour before serving. 

I put this cake in the freezer overnight and then covered it with fondant.  It isn't a good cake for fondant but I keep the cake very cold and it worked.

Summer with the Grandkids

My daughter, Callie, is here from Montana with her girls.  They are adorable.  And the cousins are enjoying playing together.  Grandpa couldn't stand that there weren't enough bikes for everyone so he went and got two more.  What a great Poppy!

Butterfly's and Boys

I took my daughter and her boys to the Butterfly Pavilion in Broomfield Colorado last week. It is located right of HWY 36. Take the Church Ranch exit and follow the signs. It's really easy to get to. Their website will give you prices, which are very reasonable, and activities to do with family.

It's a great place for kids because there are hands-on activities. Lots to keep the little mind and body busy. I also doesn't take that long to go through. You can do it in an hour, but I like staying longer to enjoy the butterflies. There was a guy there with a camera that said he had been there since it opened and they were about to close when I met him. The picture opportunities are awesome so I took quite a few.