More Summertime Year 'Round Fun

We're on the downslope of summer and I know everyone is scratching the bottom of their idea box for interesting things to do. Here is a cool activity that's not limited to summer. Letterboxing can be done all year round.

Similar to geocaching, letterboxing requires you to follow a set of clues in order to discover a box hidden in a public place. The box is, naturally, something waterproof that contains a notebook. When you find it, you add your sign that you were there, usually with a rubber stamp.

So where do you get the clues? Well, the Web site lets you look up clues for every state in the country. I noticed there are many, many in my area. And there are some in your area too. Some people include self-addressed, stampled postcards in their box for finders to mail.

This sounds like the perfect project:

• creative in choosing your stamp
• intellectual, in solving the clues
• healthy, spending time outdoors

Let me know when you get your box hidden and I'll go find it!

And a Fine Time Was Had By All

Anika is one girl who knows how to throw a party.

The custom-crafted invitations were the first clue that this would be a unique event. The carefully color-coordinated paper products (in yellow, blue and green) and the very trendy tower of cupcakes did not disappoint.

In spite of the many, excrutiatingly cute outfits everyone would probably agree that the guitar was the hands-down King of All Gifts. It was a Wiggles guitar. The number one rule of parties is that it's the noisiest gift that gets the most play, and no one could resist the chance to be a Wiggle!

Anika, we are all looking forward to another year of fun.

The Most Important Job for Any Parent...

Here is a quiz to test your parenting style. It's kind of long, too long for my attention span on such a muggy night. But why don't you go ahead, give it a try. Then you can tell me all about it.

Thinking of BIL

Get well, soon.

Happy Birthday, Anika!

[img]http://www.websmileys.com/sm/angels/littleangel.gif[/img]

My Guy

I finally caught up with my guy, Guy. Guy was the winner of the Next Food Network Star competition. One of the complaints from the contest judges was that Guy, a restaurant owner, used too much chef jargon. In his new series, I think Guy does a nice job of explaining the what and why when he's doing something. I like Guy's recipes because he tends toward spicy.

Just so you know, garlic is to Guy what butter is to Paula Deen. Like one of Guy's recipes calls for a quarter cup of minced garlic. Now, really. Who is ever honest enough to admit to that much garlic? Well, maybe Jeff Smith and his Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. But otherwise, most recipes call for a dainty two cloves. At two cloves, I'm just starting to get my mojo on.

Anyone who has seen Hell's Kitchen knows that chefs can be sort of uh, strict. But not my Guy. Guy runs a very accessible kitchen. No pomp and ceremony in Guy-ville. With his short pants and trademark spiky hair, he looks as if he just popped into the kitchen to grab a snack. But Guy's kind of snacks turn out to be creations like Rhode Island Calamari. He wields the knife like Chef Morimoto and assumes every one of us is equally capable. And if you're not, well, Guy will just chiffonade that basil himself. No big whoop.

Yup. Guy is definitely on my list of people to invite to a potluck. Actually, I'd like to see Guy on Iron Chef America. Or maybe a Guy vs. Emeril Throwdown.

Guy's Big Bite is on Food Network Sundays at 9:00 am Central.

R/W/B Recipe

In the spirit of the holiday I am giving you a red, white & blue recipe.

1. Get a bag of confetti potatoes. These are tiny sized red, white and blue potatoes.
2. Boil them until the right consistency for potato salad.
3. Cut them into the size you prefer, some people like big chunks, some prefer a small dice. Whatever.
4. Chop up a smallish red onion. Put it in your potato salad bowl. Duh.
5. Add cooked, chopped potatoes.
6. Sprinkle in a handful of blue cheese crumbles.
7. Since blue cheese always says "celery" to me, add some chopped celery. (Yeah, okay so it's red, white, blue and green.) I knew this celery thing was going to be a problem.
   • You may not add green pepper or pickles. They will taste lousy with the dressing.
   • Radishes, okay.
   • Hard boiled eggs will just look stupid. Sheesh
8. For the dressing combine 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tbl rice vinegar, sea salt & cracked black pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasonings.
9. If you're a wuss add a little sugar or honey to the dressing. If you must.
10. Pour the dressing over the salad, stir and eat.

There you have it. I'll give $5 to anyone else who can come up with an edible R/W/B recipe.