Island Camping, Andrew's First Recipe, and a Pumpkin Patch

We just got back from camping at Assateague Island, and have voted it "Possibly the Very Best Camping Spot Ever."  And we happened to be there at the best time of year and with the best temperature.   Here are some reasons:

1. No bugs

2. Wild horses

3. We were never too hot

4. We never got cold

5. Nice neighbors

6. Clean

7. Soft, sandy camp ground

8. A skipping stone's throw from the ocean

9. Playground close by (not that we needed it with all that sand)

10. Cheap 

11. Not over crowded

12. On an island

13. Secluded

14. Nothing between you and Portugal

15. Wild dolphins

Now some pictures:

Yes you can fit a family of four in a two-man tent.  On an air mattress.

Bensta (short for Gangster Ben) and Yawn-boy.

Editor's Note: I, Andrew, now post my first recipe of the week. Since Ariel did not try the smiley potatoes, she unfortunately cannot comment on the quality of the cuisine.  And I would not be so presumptuous to give my own recipe the glowing review it deserves.  The recipe follows:  buy a big ol' bag of Smiley Potatoes; pour 'em into a pot or pan over a fire or something burning hot; keep the lid on for softer potatoes; if they start getting black, most of them are probably done.  Enjoy!

 Don't worry; we had oatmeal too.

Abe at the end of saying the word, "picture."

 

Beach bum.

Andrew has a goal to do a backflip at every beach we go to.  This one failed and we're all glad he's not paralyzed.

 

After a great camping trip and day at the beach, we stopped at a pumpkin patch on the return drive.  As a bonus, it had a free fun land!

Andrew can't wait for the future, when we all ride around on these.

 

We will definitely be going back.  At least yearly, if not more often.  If anyone has a free weekend, give us a little warning and we'll gladly accompany you.

Our wild horse adventure video is coming soon.  Stay tuned!

Conference Resolutions (and some pictures)

It seems like I've had a lot of postable thoughts bouncing around in my brain lately.  We'll see if this turns into anything coherent.

Conference. We enjoyed every session.  We were really in amazement with how the talks spoke directly to our needs.  We have been thinking a lot about the use of our time (Ariel), the quality of humility (Andrew), and how to bring light in dark places (both of us).  The words of living apostles and prophets, transmitted by the power of the Holy Ghost, inspired and motivated us.  We have decided that rather than make New Year's Resolutions--most of which wither like winter--we will begin making Conference Resolutions as a family.  That way we can check ourselves every six months, and our goals can be based on the words of inspired leaders of the Church.  Some of our resolutions from this conference include:

• Have Abe repeat a verse out of the Book of Mormon every day (Sister Rosemary Wixom)
• Have a monthly Daddy-Son interview with Abe (Elder Larry Lawrence)
• Share the gospel in some way at least once a week.  It's fun for everyone from work to know I'm a Mormon and ask questions, as Elder Nelson promised they would. And make a Mormon.org profile.  (Elder Russell Nelson)
• Care for our bodies "as best we can" through daily exercise (what started out as a monetary incentive has helped me keep my body strong: biking to work!) and healthy eating (as you've seen through a smattering of recipe posts, Ariel is simply uncanny in her ability to cook beautiful, healthy, filling food) (Elder D. Todd Christofferson)
• Fill our home with light and "black out" any darkness that could enter by way of the Internet, music, movies, or books. Vigilantly preserve the sanctity of our home (Elder Quentin Cook)
• Use our agency daily to lift, serve, and bring out the best in others.  Consider how the Holy Ghost's companionship will take part in daily decisions.  Remember that Satan does not have any power over us, only inasmuch as we allow him. Choose Christ in every thought, word, and action.  Everything from what we read, to how quickly we take care of our children in need, to how we take care of our bodies, to how we serve in our callings, to how we interact with neighbors, to virtually every other decision we can make in the course of a day.  Never have there been more choices to make in mortality, never have we had greater amounts of free time--never has the responsibility to serve and the opportunity to do so been so great. (Elder Robert Hales, President Dieter Uchtdorf, Elder Boyd Packer, Elder David Bednar, President Thomas Monson)
• Work on breaking my addiction to screens.  I tend to gravitate to the iPad or laptop after work, after dinner, or before bed.  I need to remember that it's okay to have screenless nights, and that the inbox, news web sites, blogs, etc. will all be okay without me.  I don't want to succumb to the "hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation" that President Uchtdorf described.  This goal includes deleting time-wasting and mind-numbing games from the iPad. Use it as a tool, not a toy. (President Dieter Uchtdorf, Elder M. Russell Ballard)
• Oh and phoof . . . President Uchtdorf's pride talk . . . enough said.
• Be careful in the use of our resources so that we can be prepared to return to Portugal for the temple dedication! (President Thomas S. Monson)

And on that last note, I must share how overjoyed I was at the announcement.  It will change forever the face of the land that I love so dearly.  The temple will bring eternal blessings to so many of my dear friends there, and change the future of that country.  It will bring light to the country, link generations and families through priesthood power, and bring to those good people an absolute knowledge of God, His Son's Atonement, and the great Plan of Salvation.  I am so grateful for the miracles of missionary work and temple work, and how one can bring about the other.  To see a fitting tribute to this great country, please see Jamie Greene's post here.

Everything about the Church illustrates how living it is--prophets, missionaries, temples, the Holy Ghost, the priesthood power, and the humanitarian service of the Church all come immediately to mind.  What a marvelous time to be alive.  It's all true.  This I know. 

Finally, here's what you all want.  A few pictures of the fam from recently.

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon, and Chives

"You think you're not an asparagus lover?  You thought wrong. Do mushrooms mess with you? Not for long. Try it all together in this little sweetheart of a dish, and you will be begging for more. My only recommendation: always put in more spaghetti than it asks for."  -Andrew

This recipe comes from epicurious.  Their recipes can be a little more complicated and fancy, but they're usually really good, in my experience.  You can also see ratings on this site, which is helpful. 

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces spaghetti (I cooked 2 lbs of fettuccine (we had guests))
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided (I used about 1/2 that)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 4)
• 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced (I used 1/2 shiitake and 1/2 cheaper bella)
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut crosswise in thirds
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (I didn't have any chives)
• 4 ounces shaved Asiago cheese (I used Parmesan)

Directions:

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer pasta to large wide bowl.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add shiitake mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté shiitake mixture until soft, about 6 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook 1 minute. Add broth and lemon peel. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus to mushroom mixture; simmer until asparagus turns bright green, about 2 minutes. Add chives and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir until butter melts. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Top with shaved Asiago and serve. 

Even though I made quite a few changes, it was still really tasty.  I actually cooked 2 lbs of extra pasta because we had guests coming over and I was afraid there wouldn't be enough.  I had the sauce on the side so it would go further, and we ended up having plenty.  I'd definitely recommend this one, it's really fast, tasty, and filling!