Southern Idaho Nostalgia

Although some may feel that a vacation to southern Idaho is less than ideal, it has always been my favorite! It is filled with sweet memories and family. Here is some visual evidence of last week's fun:


This is at my grandparents' farm. It was built by my great-great grandfather, Jacob Heinz, who immigrated from Germany. My great-grandfather and grandfather Heinz were also born here and it is filled with memories of my great gma Berniece Amelia Steiner Heinz. It is humble (One's toilette can also double for a good dose of daily exersice since the toilet, which was not included until the 60's, has to be straddled when using the sink or mirror) but so charming.

Here are Mia and cousin Eli at a most unexpected sandwich shop in Menan. If you are in southern Idaho, go to Watson's for the tastiest lunch around!

We took lots of breaks at any park we could find to alleviate Mia's car confinement. This is not the most flattering bum shot, but I liked being able to see my whole family on a teeter-totter.
We were able to visit my father's grave in Rexburg. It was endearing to have Mia there.

Here are Dad and Mia in the Civil Defense caves. I had always gone with a big group and bounteous flashlights. This time, it was a lot darker and scarier with just the three of us, a headlamp, and Mia's glow-in-the-dark bracelet.

To contrast the chilly cave, we put our toes in the sand dunes next door. Mia was fascinated with her disappearing feet.

Great Gpa and Mia needed to get reacquainted after a six month hiatus.

This Elk farm, just south of the "R" butte is filled with a bunch of boys donning some impressive racks. It was a most unnatural sight.

Aunt Amy acted as this little artist's patron. She provided lots of coloring supplies!

One of our days, we left Mia with Gma and biked to Big Springs- the quaint source of many an Idaho lake and home to freakishly large fish.

Princess Mia enjoying Yellowstone's steam in her modernized litter:

Dad was able to declare satisfaction with our Yellowstone trip as soon as he spotted this black bear digging for termites.

Mia did some bear schmoozing of her own at the Tower Falls gift shop. Her attentions to this stuffed animal drew a circle of on-lookers.

Mia loved playing with the big girls at our Harmon family reunion.

While everyone else was enjoying my Samoan Aunt Vernetta's luau, Mia got into the tropical festivities by rescuing this deflated flamingo from some forgotten corner of the yard. It, a smooshed potato roll, and this lovely make-shift bib adorned her person for much of the evening.

We were sad to leave!

White River 50 Miler!

This last weekend, David raced a measly 50 miles with his brother, John, in the foot"hills" of Mt. Rainier. The landscape was stunning.

Mile 16.9...You better wipe that smile off your face. You have a marathon plus 7 miles left.

Half-way point:

Finished!

Because this race was the National Championships, the celebrities of trail running were participants. David even got to exchange a few (like 5) words with his running idol- Scott Jurek:

Mia and I were his support crew (the official name for the cheerleaders at these types of races). We camped just a few miles from the finish line.

Early in the morning, we had a tent escapee:

I guess being outside had an effect on her appetite. She kept hoarding food in her cheeks!

Goodbye, Mt. Rainier! See you in a month when Dad runs his 100!

Rivs & Mia #3

Our friends, Emily and River, came to visit us last week while Dad was on an adventure. Our idealism gets the better of us as we encourage frequent reunions between Mia and Rivs...

Toothbrush & Nightgown

Me, circa 1985
Mia, last week

The Woman in White

Considered the first mystery novel ever written (along with The Moonstone by the same author), this is one of the juiciest books sans sex that I have ever read. It doesn't say much for all subsequent mysteries that the first in their genre was the most riveting. Scandal can only take so many forms, I suppose.

Paseo Cuban Sandwich

If you are ever in Seattle, you need to have lunch at Paseo. In an effort to mimic our other-worldly experience with the cuban pork sandwich, I experimented in my kitchen. The results were pretty close to the real deal-

Marinate a pork shoulder for at least 5 hours in the following:

2 cups orange juice
3 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP lime juice
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp fresh or dried oregano
3/4 tsp each salt & pepper


After marinating, sear the outside of the pork for about 10 minutes on high. Then roast in oven at 300 degrees in the marinade and with tented foil for about 45 min. (this, of course depends on the size of your pork-mine was about 5 lbs.), basting frequently.

Flip the meat, remove foil and cook for another hour and a half. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

In the mean time, slice two onions and saute in olive oil and a little salt until carmelized.

Also, mix 3-4 cloves of garlic (diced) and a tablespoon of relish into about 1/2 cup of olive oil mayo. Spread the mayo onto a baguette- you want a chewy interior on your bread b.t.w.- and toast it in the broiler for a few minutes. The mayo should puff up a little and the flavors will seep into the bread. Lay a few leaves of romaine, preferably crispy pieces, on the bottom half of the bread. Layer the sliced meat, a generous amount of carmelized onions, and some chopped cilantro over the romaine. If you want to spice it up, add some pickled jalepenos. In order to preserve the innards of the sandwich, wrap it in foil and peel it back a little at a time to eat.

YUM!

Aventuras del 4 de Julio

We thoroughly enjoyed our annual Priest Lake camping trip last weekend- especially because Mia can now be an active participant (as opposed to her last year's blob status).

David tried out and coveted his brother's new-found sport: mountain boarding.

Mia giggled a lot with Gma R-

She did some official hiking of her own.

Paradise (literally):

Communing with Gpa R

Look closely...Do you see what I see? Yikes!

Mia is not shy about her boat-ride enthusiasm. Next time, we are going to try the tube.
Each year, David has to get his fix of neuron-zapping 33 degree water: