Annika's Amazing Croissants

For quite a few weeks, Annika has talked about wanting to make croissants. I cannot lie ... I basically LOVE the fact she wanted to take on croissants. 

The issue ... ok, not issue, exactly .... the important thing to keep in mind is croissants are not a quick baking project. It isn't like the "Hey, Mom? Can we make cookies?" type of request that we can basically do at the drop of a hat. Laminated dough takes time. The ingredients have to be assembled, the dough has to rise, and then it has to be rolled, folded, rolled, folded, rolled, folded, chilled for 30 minutes (and repeat two more times). Typically, I like to make croissants over the course of a weekend; the dough is made, rises, and has its three rounds of rolling/folding on day 1. It spends the night in its plastic wrap sleeping bag in the fridge, and then day 2 is when we cut/shape the croissants, let them rise in their sauna, and then we bake them. 

Annika did a fantastic job! She was careful with her measurements and paying attention to the details. She listened well as I explained why certain things are done. As she beat the butter in the mixer, she proved (once again) that she's my girl by exclaiming how much she loves the smell of butter.

Annika adding the dry ingredients to the mixer

I'd like to throw out a huge bit of praise for Annika. She has been out of her cast for a smidge over a week, and was already battling dough with a rolling pin. That's not an easy task with two fully-functioning arms, and there she was persevering (Eric!!!) with one arm that wasn't quite up for that sort of task yet. Yes, I did help roll out the dough when she needed some assistance, but even that impressed me... she was willing to recognize when a helping hand was in order. (That's something I still struggle with. "I do it b'self!")

Rollin', rollin', just keep rollin'

After our third round of rolling and folding, we wrapped up the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for the night. Side note: I am SOOO glad I checked on the dough before I went to bed because it had enough carry-over heat that it continued to grow and it was HUUUUUGE! I knocked down the dough (TAKE THAT, dough) and put it back in the fridge ... with an extra layer of plastic around it just in case.

Sunday morning was rolling, cutting, shaping rising, baking, and (most importantly) EATING day!!!

We pulled out my marble slab (thank you to Eric's brother and sister-in-law for the heaviest-ever Christmas present!!), rolling pin, and croissant cutter (a special thanks to my brother and his co-worker for getting that amazing toy for me... still love it after all of these years!) and we got to work. After we rolled out the dough, I showed Annika how to use the croissant cutter, how to shape the rolls, and how we use a Hefty bag and bowl of hot water to create a croissant sauna.

Shaping the croissants

Annika and her croissant cutter super hero mask

Before long, the first batch of rolls was out of the oven (and that's when I realized we neglected to  put the egg wash on them ... whoops!) so I quickly brushed them with egg wash, popped 'em back in the oven and browned 'em up a bit more. Adapting is part of the baking game, people! :)

First batch out of the oven waiting for its forgotten egg wash

Annika with one of her finished croissants. SOOO yummy!!! 

Look at those flaky culinary masterpieces. Way to go, Annika!

Making something like croissants take a lot of patience and precision. Annika really showed how she's maturing by taking on a project like this. Sure, I had to encourage her to stick with it during the less exciting times here and there, but she really did a great job with this project. Very proud of our girl .... now I need to go ride our stationary bike 350,000 hours to work off the insane amount of croissant-shaped calories I've ingested since yesterday. 

Trout Fishing with Bestefar

Last weekend, Eric's folks were kind enough to (once again) open their doors to our crew for the weekend. The reason for this particular trip was so Eric's dad (aka Bestefar) could take the kids fishing on a lake near their house. He even bought little row boat for the occasion. (Someone needs to get ready to polish his "Grandfather of the Year - 2017" award!!)

Conor posing on the Tilacum

Ferry selfie

Due to Annika's crazy schedule on Saturday (she had 3 places to be at the same time that morning... HELLO!), Conor and I went up to the island early morning while Eric and Annika went to Microsoft for a robotics event her team attended; later, they took a Lyft car to Mukilteo, walked on the next ferry, and Eric's dad picked them up at the Whidbey ferry terminal. Nice!

While Eric and Annika were in Redmond, Eric's dad took Conor out on the lake to try their hands (rods?) at catching trout. We've gone fishing (for salmon) in the Sound for the past few years in Bestefar's outboard boat, but have yet to actually catch any salmon. I was nervous about how successful the kids would be fishing for trout .... boy, was I a fool!! Conor caught two trout and had a few more that got away. Bestefar and Conor had a blast out on the water together; I think they were on the lake for about 2 hours when a speedboat put an end to their fishing excursion.

Conor sporting his fishing rod

The dogs kept putting their ball in the boat so Conor could throw it for them

Bestefar and Conor ... all ready to go!

Rowing, rowing, just keep rowing

Fish on!!

Conor and his trout buddies

Almost as soon as the guys were back at the house, were their haul in the pan and quickly becoming lunch for us! Much to Bestefar's shock, Conor most liked trout with a little mustard to dip it in. (The rest of us opted for plain!) Bestemor quickly pointed out that with our kids now knowing how to catch trout, I'd better learn how to prepare it.... so true!!! (I've been researching trout recipes ever since.)

Between fishing outings, Bestefar went into town for more fishing lures and to pick up Eric and Annika at the ferry. While he was shopping for lures, Eric's dad very sweetly looked for a lure he thought Annika would like... he found a pink one with glitter on it. Shazam!!

By early afternoon, our robotics duo had arrived and it was Annika's turn to go out on the boat. She had barely dropped her bag in the house before she and Bestefar were lakeward bound! Again, I feared she wouldn't catch anything (those elusive salmon have scarred me, apparently) and knowing Conor caught two fish earlier in the day, I was even more nervous. Again, FOOL!! Annika wound up catching three trout!! (The lesson? Never doubt Norwegians determined to catch fish while using a glittery lure!) Annika and Bestefar spent a good three hours on the lake and she would have stayed longer had it been earlier in the day AND had Bestefar not spent the better part of five hours rowing around the lake! (I'm fairly certain his arms felt like wet noodle by the time he was done!)

What a fun (and trout)-filled day!!

The rest of the weekend was filled with playing card and dice games (I'm still working on my Hearts strategy, but seem to be improving with practice and help from Eric and his mom), reading, knitting (Bestemor and me! I was very focused on getting the socks I've been knitting done before my upcoming carpal tunnel release surgery!), and watching the UW football game (Go Dawgs!).

We are incredibly glad the kids had this opportunity to go fishing this weekend! What cherished memories they are creating ... and they're bringing home food. BONUS!!!

Our Alderbrook Getaway

For the most part, Eric's and my birthdays pass with little fanfare or hoopla. At our ages, we tend to top off the celebrations with a take-out dinner and some gifts. Low-key is the name of our game.

Because this year marked Eric's 50th birthday, I felt compelled to do a bit more than in other years. He wasn't convinced it was necessary, but I did. Hey! How many times does a person hit the half-century mark? Right??

To celebrate his 50 years in this world. I booked a weekend getaway for our family at Alderbrook Resort. Knowing March is a crazy-busy month for us, I opted for us to go out of town in April... a little after his birthday, but better in terms of the calendar. I was able to get a two-bedroom cottage, complete with a kitchenette, making thins a whole lot easier for us. The cottage was even pet-friendly, so Buca could go with us. Bonus!

After making the drive to Union (just shy of 2 hours from home), we found ourselves ready for vacation, but vacation wasn't quite ready for us. Because we arrived before the official check-in time, our cottage wasn't ready for us. To pass the time, we decided to do a little geocaching. We tromped around the resort's property for about an hour and a half and had a marvelous time. It was a great way to stretch our legs after being in the car and to learn more about the lay of the land. We went along trails through the woods, to the pool, along the beach, and along the loop of cottages. Fortunately, we only got rained on a little bit. Considering we were expecting a very wet weekend, we felt like we dodged a big (wet) bullet.

Soon enough, we were able to get the keys to our cottage (#10) and get unpacked a bit. While the kids claimed their beds and figured out where their toys would spend the weekend, Buca got comfy on his vacation dog bed that we found waiting for us and promptly fell asleep. (Traveling is so tiring!) Eventually, Buca was up for a little exploring. (He's 12, so emphasis on the LITTLE.) He and the kids walked down to the beach to check out the sights and smells. Buca even took a little dip in the Sound ... too cold for us, but he had a great time!! Of course, that completely tuckered him out, leaving me to hoist him back up over the 2' bulkhead so he could slowly walk back to the cottage and his comfy bed.

After dinner, we took advantage of the lovely indoor pool and hot tub. (You had me at hot tub!) The four of us (Buca was on cottage guard patrol) had a marvelous time playing, splashing, and relaxing in the water. At one point, Annika decided to make a raft out of the available pool noodles. She was incredibly industrious!! It was such a treat to see how far the kids have come in their swimming abilities. They both can navigate in the water with skill and confidence. Conor had a blast tossing our dive toys around and then scurrying around the bottom of the pool to retrieve them. Fortunately, we didn't have to share the pool with a lot of people for the most part. 

Soon enough, it was 7 o'clock and time to dry off so we could enjoy one of the many fire pits around the resort. Thanks to a hint from my friend Kate (who recently visited Alderbrook with her family), we packed s'more makings and had dessert outside while soaking up the heat from the fire. We wrapped up the evening with a walk along the docks and some quite admiration of the local beauty.

After putting the kids to bed, Eric and I opened a bottle of bubbly and plated a few hands of cards. We played Quiddler (and had to reminder ourselves how to play because we'd taking a rather long hiatus from that game apparently!) and gin rummy. We even whipped out the dice and played a few rounds of Greed. Yeah. we are party animals!!

We chit chatted, reminisced, recapped the day, and laughed together ... all while listening to a chorus of croaking frogs. (Definitely not part of our typical city-dwellers soundtrack.)  

The next morning, we awoke to a quiet calmness that basically sums up staying at Alderbrook. We had 9:00 breakfast reservations, so scooted out of the cottage fairly soon after Annika woke up. Oh my, but was breakfast amazing! We had warm carrot cake break (which we all inhaled) as a starter. The kids and I ordered eggs benedict (mine had crab cakes instead of an English muffin and Canadian bacon.... AMAZING) while Eric had scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. (Ahh, my runny-egg hating sweetie!) The potatoes that came as a side dish were addictive ... the kind of food that keeps bringing you back even though you're painfully full.

We walked off breakfast by touring the docks and beach one more time before packing up our stuff (well, most of our stuff ... stay tuned for that story) and heading home. We had fun looking for pretty shells scattered along the beach. The kids were particularly impressed with the oyster shells ... something they had very little exposure to previously.

Before long, we bid Alderbrook a fond farewell and made the journey home. That night after the kids went to bed and Eric and I sat on the couch to watch a TV show, a teary-eyed Conor came into the room saying, "I think Spot 1 is still at Alderbrook!" (sob, sob, sob) We search through his luggage and the car hoping Spot 1 was just hiding. Unfortunately, it was soon apparent that Spot 1 was on an extended vacation. I called the resort and spoke with a very helpful (and sympathetic) employee who quickly found Spot 1 in the lost and found (WHEW!!). He took my contact info and promised the person in charge of the lost and found would contact me the next day to arrange for Spot 1's return. (Double WHEW!) As promised, I received a call the next day and Spot 1 was kindly packaged up and returned to his rightful home. A very squishy (and MUCH anticipated) package arrived at our home a few days later. I swear, I've never seen Conor so happy to see the mail in his life!! To show how top-notch Alderbrook is, they included a stuffed chipmunk (named Chip) and a note explaining how Spot and he became friends while they were both at Alderbrook. Talk about customer service!!!

A Sunny, Beachy, and Puppy-ful Whidbey Weekend

Oh, what a weekend we had and we are so grateful for Eric's mom (aka the birthday girl) and dad hosting our crazy clan for another sleepover.

When we go to Whidbey, we usually head up early Saturday morning to avoid sitting in a long ferry line. Unfortunately, Annika had an event at school Saturday night that precluded us from following our normal schedule, so we opted to head up as soon as the kids got out of school Friday afternoon and prayed that the freeway traffic and ferry line were kind to us. Oh boy, were they ever kind!! We made it up to the ferry terminal in pretty darned good time, especially considering it was a sunny Friday afternoon. We did miss the first ferry that we were aiming for, but considering we were able to pull right into the parking lot instead of waiting in the ferry line waaaay up the hill, we were feeling mighty great.

To celebrate the sunny weather and to bide our time as we waited for the next ferry, the kids and I popped over to Ivars for some ice cream. Yum! I was too full to finish mine, so Buca even got a bit of a treat.

Buca says, "Nom, nom, nom"

Before long (and after a few ice cream drips down the kids' hands), we were on the ferry and taking in the gorgeous views from the ship deck.The kids "helped" the ferry make the crossing by pretending to be a couple of ferry captains. Thank goodness they accept payment in the form of ice cream!

Keeping their eyes peeled for signs of the Whdbey ferry terminal

"Driving" the ferry

Once the kids safely docked the ferry, we made a quick drive to Eric's parents' house. The kids are always excited to visit Bestefar and Bestemor, but this visit was even more exciting than the rest because this was the first time they got to meet Eric's parents' new puppy. Needless to say, Kodi was the star of the weekend and captured our hearts immediately. I'm pretty sure he had a magnetic impact on our kids; whenever they were out of sight, we knew they were playing with Kodi.

While the kids LOVED the newness of Kodi, it became pretty evident after a little bit that Buca was absolutely worn out by all of the puppy's energy. Poor Buca is becoming an old man and even hung out in the bushes for a little peace and quiet... that and he LOVES to spend time in the mud!

At some point during the weekend, I mentioned that we have a neat book of "Dad and Me" projects and Annika really liked the idea of making stilts and a teeter-totter. Naturally, almost as soon as the breakfast dishes were cleared, Eric and his dad were out on the woodshop putting together a set of stilts for the kids. Annika's current professional dream is to be a trapeze artist, so it is good for her to get some circus skills down now. She took to stilt walking quite quickly and was happy to wobble around the driveway for all to see.

As soon as we unpacked our gear on Friday, Annika started hounding Eric's dad to take her for a ride on his ATV. Unfortunately for her, Bestefar was completely exhausted because (a) they returned from Montana rather late the night before and before we arrived on Friday afternoon, he had already played 18 holes of golf and mowed their massive lawns. Soon after the stilts were built and the kids were out of their PJs, out came the helmets and ATV for some fun around the property. The kids even got to take turns driving! Naturally, the ride-on mower also came out so both kids could have rides at the same time. No child left behind!