Cooking with a Cat

KITCHEN CHALLENGE: A couple of weeks back, an email from Food Network Magazine contained notice about a cooking contest for kids. It asked for recipes using King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. 

So, we picked up a pack at the store a few days ago, and Annabelle mulled over ideas. She decided to make Loco Moco Mini sliders, a twist on a Hawaiian favorite food featuring a hamburger patty, gravy, and a fried egg that's usually served over rice. The Hawaiian rolls were the stand in for the starch.

She had to submit the recipe, a photo of the finished product and a portrait of the chef. 

Medium eggs were fried low and slow, in little cookie cutters so they'd fit on the little buns. 

She seasoned and fried up a pound of ground beef into six little patties, chopped up a pineapple, and made some brown gravy.

She split and toasted the Hawaiian rolls, put Japanese mayo on them, some broiled pineapple, the patty, the gravy and then topped it with the top bun. She sprinkled a little furikake on for fun and to spice things up.

It's a national contest and unlikely we'll hear anything about her entry, but it was a fun project and the kids and Christian got a nice lunch out of the endeavor.

IN THE WEEDS: We spent some time yesterday cleaning out our numerous deck planters to help get them ready for some of our vegetable starts. 

I was happy to see our rosemary is going gangbusters. Lots of blossoms and new growth.

PURRFECT GUEST: We have an extra critter on campus for a couple days this week. Kennedy went down to visit the Vegas family, so his cat Bexley is hanging out in our basement suite.

Bex is very photogenic.

I think I've taken more photos of him in the past two days than I have of our two dogs in the past two years.

GROUNDED: We've been waiting and watching for Ingenuity, the helicopter that hitched a ride with rover Perseverance, to make its first flight on Mars. Unfortunately, the maiden, historic voyage keeps getting delayed by NASA, which is a bit worrisome.

 

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter unlocked its rotor blades, allowing them to spin freely, on April 7, 2021, the 47th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. 

The latest update from NASA contained this news. ...

The Ingenuity team has identified a software solution for the command sequence issue identified on Sol 49 (April 9) during a planned high-speed spin-up test of the helicopter’s rotors. Over the weekend, the team considered and tested multiple potential solutions to this issue, concluding that minor modification and reinstallation of Ingenuity’s flight control software is the most robust path forward. This software update will modify the process by which the two flight controllers boot up, allowing the hardware and software to safely transition to the flight state. Modifications to the flight software are being independently reviewed and validated today and tomorrow in testbeds at JPL.

While the development of the new software change is straightforward, the process of validating it and completing its uplink to Ingenuity will take some time. A detailed timeline for rescheduling the high-speed spin-up test and first flight is still in process. 

Hopefully the fix works and Ingenuity will be flying high soon. 

Of Parks and Barks

BACK AT THE BALLPARK: We missed baseball so much during the no-fans pandemic season of last year, we're going early and often to games this year. 

Game number two was on a chilly Wednesday afternoon a couple of days back. It was under 40 degrees, so we bundled up to a point it felt more like we were going to a football game in December.

Before the game, we checked out the new boardwalk section on the southwest corner of the 300 level.

There are built in binoculars offering views of the city and the sound. 

There are spaces to sit and stand around, but many of them are sporting 'closed' signs at the moment, as people are supposed to socially distance and only eat and drink in their seats under COVID-driven protocols.

There are some fun, over-sized postcard murals on the wall that make great photo opps.

The game itself was kind of a weird one. We got to see the Mariners' starting pitcher, Justin Dunn, walk EIGHT batters in 4 2/3 innings. Ugh. The good news is, he only gave up one hit. The bad news is, the other team (the White Sox) wasn't hitting because there weren't strikes to swing at.

The Ms dug themselves a hole, but rallied in the sixth inning, batting around in the order and scoring 7 runs along the way. Fortunately, that was enough to earn a win that afternoon.

FURRY VISITOR: Thursday morning, our plans didn't go as scheduled thanks to a surprise guest. 

This is Cassie. She is a good girl. She was having a big adventure today when she ran away from home. Bold move for an almost-blind dog.

I first saw her out my bedroom window. I yelled at the kids that there was a stray in our yard and grabbed a leash.

We went out to find her, but she was already out of sight. However,

Annabelle Kisky

has ears much better than mine and she said she heard a jangle. We ran to the south and saw her. She barked aggressively at us - but also came toward us. We said hello and petted her and followed her around for a bit. She's aged and arthritic, but was on a mission, walking swiftly. We managed to get our little 10-pound leash on an 80-pound dog. She didn't resist, and seemed happy for friendly company.

We corralled her into our basement, gave her water and treats and worked the phone numbers on her multiple tags while she had a sit. None of those numbers worked, but one dog tag had her last name on it. I ran upstairs to grab our neighborhood watch master list and found a matching last name.

We spend several comical moments trying to wrangle big ol', dear old Cassie into our tiny Honda Fit. First attempt she posted up in the driver's seat and would not budge! Second attempt, Annabelle had to hoist Cassie's sizable hindquarters up into the car as she couldn't manage on her arthritic own.

We drove to where we hoped her home to be. As we approached, two elderly women were standing in the road in front of their house. Honestly, they looked like they were in shock. One of them spied Cassie in our car and a sense of relief set in. Then they told us that Cassie had escaped while they were loading their other elderly, infirm dog into the car to take her to the vet to cross the Rainbow Bridge. My gosh. They thought they had lost both furry friends on the same day.

We were so happy Cassie happened into our yard. She is such a sweetie.

Tearing it Up

FLOORED: We continue our never-ending kitchen remodel. Lately, our attention has been on replacing the (horrible, terrible, awful) old flooring. The ugly vinyl was glued down to the substrate like it would be there forever, so we had to take the substrate out, as well.

In the photo below you can see how part of the floor is down to the original 1962 framing.

Once the subfloor was all out, it was time to glue and screw new 3/4-inch plywood down.

Honestly, the floor looks better with just good ol' plywood than it did with the vinyl. 

Then, we did a dry fit of the new tile. Believe me, I realize the irony that most people would find this flooring unappealing. But that's OK. The next owners can tear it out and question our poor taste. ;)

We put the glue down for the new stuff at about 11:30 a.m. It took four hours to cure to a point we could start sticking the new tiles down.

The new look is big fun. :)

UP TO SNUFF: On Saturday, Annabelle took a math placement test to determine if she's up to snuff for college math classes. We're happy to report she placed well above math 101 level, so she's good to go in that respect for Running Start. (She'd already been qualified for college-level English.)

Next step for her is meeting with a counselor to plan classes to take this fall. Exciting times!

Meanwhile, CJ started his final quarter at South Seattle this morning. He's taking a Northwest history class, a nutrition class, and a world film class. We're all looking forward to learning more about those subjects. This morning, when he was putting in his application for graduation, CJ checked his transcript and saw that he was 4.0 last quarter (English, film studies and crazy math), and is on the President's list again. Way to go, CeeJ!

SIGNS OF LIFE: Things are sprouting 'round here at MPA. I love this poppy that appeared from a crack in the concrete near our front door. (When the kids and I cleaned up the garden last fall, we shook the poppies really hard, hoping seeds would sprout this spring.)

Our sunflowers are impressing already. They emerged just a couple of days after planting them.

And look at how much bigger they are just two days later!

Meanwhile, our first tomato plant has made an appearance.

A couple hours later, it was joined by a couple more. Hooray!

MORE MEMORIES: A couple of other mementos from our first visit to the ballpark in over a year.  This view was the bottom of the ninth inning.

And here's a little video taken right before the 2021 season started.

The Old Ballgame

HOME AGAIN: On Friday night, we took a long-awaited field trip to T-Mobile Park to root, root, root for the home team, the Seattle Mariners.

In a normal year, we probably go to a dozen or two baseball games. Last year was anything but normal. We went to exactly zero games, as fans were banned from the stands due to the ongoing global pandemic.

Fast forward to 2021. COVID isn't gone, but about 30 percent of Washingtonians are vaccinated, and we are learning to live with COVID safety protocols. So the ballpark is back open, with limited seating (9,000 per game instead of packed-to-the rafters with 40,000 or so), and social distancing. 

Because attendance was so low, we were able to park for free on the street, just a couple of blocks from the stadium. On our walk to the park, we passed a couple of new, huge murals. This one of Edgar towered about 20 feet tall.

 

The artist was still working on one, a portrait of arguably the Seattle Sonics' number one fan, Kris Brannon. Unfortunately, he died earlier this year, and never got to see his team return to Seattle. 

We made our way through the gates - with a little drama, given their new system. I'll spare you the blow-by-blow details about me arguing over taking in an empty water bottle, which was stated as allowed on the Mariners' website. I was told to throw it away by three escalating levels of people. The fourth guy (armed) finally cleared me. I wasn't going to let it go, because I knew I was right, and they were being ridiculous. 

Anyway, inside the part, we found many a hand sanitizer station. There are over 300 of them, apparently. 

We stood behind home plate for a few moments, admiring the green, green grass of home. 

We made our way around the main concourse. We had to stop by and say 'hi' to the longtime voice of the Mariners, Dave Niehaus. It has now been ten seasons without his voice filling the airwaves. He is missed. 

Down in the 'Bullpen' area of the stadium, there were some new attractions. The one below is apparently something that lets you turn yourself into a bobblehead, but it was closed because of COVID.

This graffiti-like mural features one of Dave Niehaus' most famous lines.

We stopped by the Moose's Den, but nobody was home. 

The kids' play park was closed, another COVID casualty.

We eventually made our way to our 300-level seats. I appreciated the BLM sign across the field from us.

Not long after we sat down, a fire erupted a few blocks away. I suspected it was a homeless camp, because they line the freeway in this part of town. Turns out my suspicion was correct. The fire snarled traffic for hours, apparently. There were no injuries, fortunately.

The field was absolutely beautiful! Oh, how we've missed this view!

The Mariners lost, of course. We had the 'pleasure' of watching a 30-year-old middle reliever's ERA go from 0.00 to 40.5 in one inning. That said, it was great to be back, and we can't wait to go back.

TODAY WE LEARNED: Thanks to a Facebook post by "Goodwill Librarian" we learned an interesting factoid today.

I did not know that. Now the question is, why did I not know that? Why have I, for five-plus decades, never wondered why they're called upper case and lower case? I think maybe it is because I wasn't taking it so literally. I thought of a 'case' as an example or type (no pun intended), and upper were the bigger ones and lower were the smaller ones. 

Get Back

BASEBALL'S BACK: Today is a happy day at MPA, as it marks the return of Major League Baseball. 

COVID made for an atypical season last year. It was short, and no fans were in the seats. This year, stadiums* are letting a limited number of fans in, and are taking mega efforts to keep the situation safe (*unless you're the Texas Rangers, who are inexplicably filling every seat).

Tomorrow night we'll be attending a (socially distanced) baseball game in person for the first time in over a year. We're so excited! 

This week, my Facebook "Memories" are full of us attending opening day Mariners games. So many fun memories. Sure, the Mariners usually lose, but a bad day at the ballpark is a better day than most others. 

GARDEN STARTERS: Recently, we spied a news story about Lowe's offering free garden kits each week during the month of April. We missed the first one (April 1), but there are three more days coming up:

• April 8: Garden-to-Go kit sponsored by Miracle-Gro with exclusive recipes from professional cook and food stylist Amanda Frederickson.
• April 15: Lowe's Mystery Garden Pinata with mystery seed packets.
• April 22: 500,000 tree saplings given out in honor of Earth Day.
• April 29: Lowe's Butterfly Quest which helps families create a butterfly garden. 

According to the story, these Garden-to-Go project kits can even be picked up curbside/without leaving your car. You can register each Thursday this month to pick up the next week's kit.

Speaking of gardens, we're caring for our starts daily, but no signs of life just yet.

FUTURE FLIGHT: NASA is inviting the public to sign up to (virtually) attend the SpaceX Crew-2 mission (exact launch date to be determined). 

Registrants will receive mission updates, information on the virtual NASA Social interactive opportunities, and a stamp for their NASA virtual passport following launch.

All resources, participation, and registration are free. Here's the website where we signed up: https://go.nasa.gov/2PLguzL

Meanwhile on Mars, Curiosity, no longer the newest rover on the Red Planet, sent back a spectacular selfie last week. Using a robotic arm, it took a photo of itself in front of Mont Mercou, a 20-foot-tall rock formation.

Some 2,600 miles away, the helicopter that caught a ride to Mars on Perseverance set down on Martian soil for the first time. 

Ingenuity is stretching its legs, so to speak, and is preparing for its first off-planet, independent  flight. Exciting!

COURT TV: For the past few days, we have had Court TV streaming all day, watching the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on George Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, while Floyd became unresponsive and died. And then he kept on kneeling until he was told, by a paramedic, to get off the lifeless man's neck.

The trial is hard to watch, but it's also a 'can't look away' situation. We are mortified by much of the testimony, understandably. However, this trial is, undoubtedly, an educational moment. The kids are, for the first time, seeing the mechanics of how a real trial works - the examination and cross examination, the sidebars, the objections and overrules, et cetera. Let's hope they - and all of us - will see justice is served in the end.

Back in the Saddle

DIRTY WORK: We are a little late to the game this year, I believe, but we finally got seeds into soil today. 

Since our tomatoes under-performed last season, we're mixing things up a bit. We'll see what sprouts and flourishes - or doesn't. I'm hoping the tomatillos go gangbusters. If so, I see salsa verde in our future. If the sunflowers flourish, most of them will be headed to Mukilteo, for the park grounds around the lighthouse.

KITCHEN DISASTERS: So, we have half of the pretty new countertops installed, but the balance of the kitchen is pretty much a disaster. We're tearing the floor up, all the way down to the original framing, since the ugly old vinyl was so massively adhered to the particle board subfloor. 

Oh, and while we were doing the countertops, we decided we really should remove the upper cabinets on the north wall, so we could insulate behind them. Fortunately, that's done and buttoned back up. Once in awhile I wish we weren't so thorough with things, but in the end, doing the right thing is worth the extra time and effort and money and mess.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all of this, we somehow keep on cooking. In fact, this weekend was Teen Feed, so we were cooking up a storm. The main dish this month was a hearty rice-based entree of the chef's choice. 

We were in charge of making 30 main entrees, each consisting of about four cups of rice apiece, plus at least a half pound of protein each, and tons of veggies.

We decided to adapt Nonnie's fantastic tortilla casserole recipe to a rice dish. So we made about a gallon of red chile sauce, used about 14 pounds of boneless chicken, and five pounds of corn, plus a small mountain of olives. That all got mixed in with a ton of rice and it turned out great!

We also decided to make a spin on chicken pot pie, with rice as the starch instead of a pie crust. We mixed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, about 5 pounds of mixed veggies and about 6 pounds of chicken for 8-10 servings. We added thyme, sage, garlic powder, salt, white pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. ] Let me tell you, it was delicious -and a huge hit with the Teen Feed crowd, per the post meal report.

Fresh fruit and homemade cookies were also on the menu. And, as always, we had vegan and no onion options. 

But they're was one thing we didn't plan for. "Do you have any non-rice options?" the Teen Feed coordinator asked me, about a half hour before service.

I was glad I was wearing a mask, so the guy couldn't see my jaw hit the floor.

"We have one guest who is frustrated when it's a rice dinner," he explained.

So, my friend and I scrambled to come up with a non rice alternative. And we worked it out but, what a heart stopper.

What's ironic is that apparently Mr. Frustrated Rice Dinner Diner got over his frustration when he saw our protein-laden options. Everyone who donated main dishes did a great job of making them super hearty and heavy on the non-rice elements. I can totally understand someone getting frustrated by nothing but mostly rice for sustenance. That would get old real quick.

A couple of photos of our cookies and the tortilla rice dish.

RALLY TIME: Sunday morning, we piloted our Mariners blue Honda toward the Mariners' stadium for a drive through rally. 

We didn't really know what to expect, and didn't really care. The stadium is close to home and we were happy to get out of the house.

There was a wheel of fortune station. Imagine our thrill when we won four Kyle Seager bobbleheads.

Not too long ago we got rid of four more Kyle Seager bobbleheads. Oh well, I rehomed them on our Buy Nothing group today.

We also 'won' four Mariners backpacks. Midday today, we took those to a low income elementary school near our house and donated them to their closet for kids who need clothing and school supplies. 

Perhaps our favorite stop on the tour was local burger joint Dick's serving up free burgers.

Yes, please!

MORNING REPORT: While the kids aren't in a formal Japanese class at the moment, they continue to learn more about the language and culture. They sat in on a class this morning. CJ can tell you more about it.

This morning, I watched an online event hosted by the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington (JASSW). The event, titled Virtual JIS Workshop: Tōkaidō, was centered around the former location of the same name in Japan.

Tōkaidō was a road connecting the cities known in the modern day as Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan's eighth-largest and first-largest city respectively. Tōkaidō is sometimes considered a figurative "road from ancient to modern Japan," as it connected Kyoto, Japan's historical capital, with Tokyo, Japan's current capital.

Perhaps Tōkaidō's most significant quality as opposed to other roads between Kyoto and Tokyo is that it went through rivers in Japan. Travellers who seeked to avoid getting their feet wet could even hire an on-foot taxi, carried by a quartet comprising the human taxi's "wheels."