Dahlia

Another gift from our friends' garden.

Yum

What happens when you take some garden fresh sauteed greens and mix them with leftover turkey, goat cheese and roasted pepper pesto, roll them into happy wonton mega-raviolis and

top them with fresh tomato sauce and parmesan? You get something very, very yummy.

Good morning

Thanks to the gifts of dahlias, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and organic greens from friends yesterday afternoon, this was the sight that greeted me this morning when I went into the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot. Is there anything that tastes better than the end of summer?

All in a day's work

While my new life of "freedom" as a student, haus frau and woman of leisure is something that I am getting used to quite happily, I have struggled with change that comes with my significantly lower financial contribution to our household. Jeff regularly reminds me that not all contributions are financial ones (and that the value of a wife no longer suffering daily anxiety attacks at the thought of going to a job that makes her absolutely miserable is more than money could ever buy). It is amazing how our life has simplified since I've been off work and how much more cheaply we live, but I'm still aware of this change.

Today, I had an opportunity to make a very unique contribution. While Jeff was busy with his VT 150 and VT 300 robot babies (or "Crawler vehicles" as he corrects me), I was busy with our V-2840. My food vacuum packager might not be able to complete underground rescues, crawl through pipes or help with international security, but I love it just the same.

One of the guys in our care group has worked in the charter fishing business for over a decade and knows everything there is to know about salmon. When he invited us into a group purchase on some of this year's sockeye run (apparently, the best on the West Coast in over a century), we were pretty excited. The 'catch' on this great deal? Each family buying fish needed to provide a helper to process it.

So today while Jeff did all the things that an engineer does on an average day, I joined 6 strong, outdoorsy-type men to process 700 pounds of salmon. It was caught yesterday and was so fresh, all you could smell was a little sea water (no fish smell at all). We barbequed some for lunch and let me tell you- it was the best salmon I've ever tasted.

The fish in this photo account for about a third of the total we cut, rinsed, dried and vacuum packed. I'm proud to report that my equipment and vaccum-packing talent wowed the boys and I think, I did well enough to earn an invitation back next year. Jeff and I bought 100 pounds and came home with 42 sides of salmon that we are splitting with Jeff's parents. So for all of you prairie and Ontarian friends and family members- you'll have to come out for a visit. We have lots of very yummy salmon to feed you.