July 26th, 2013 - Friday - Racquetball

My Dad and brother were big racquetball players when I grew up and I loved the game and got good at it by the time I was 15-16.  But I just didn't get a chance to play a lot until recently.

We have a family Sunday Football game.  This is the most magical fantastic wonderful experience.  We gather with family and friends and play Sunday morning early. It's great. Jennie plays, Asher, Riley, Ame.  It's just fantastic.  One of the better things I've EVER done with my family.  We almost always play on the same team, so it's a real family team event.  Well last Sunday due to scheduling conflicts we decided to play at 6:00 in the afternoon instead of 8:00 in the morning...

This was a bad decision. It was BRUTALLY hot.  95 degrees.  While pulling out a victory, I damn near killed myself, and so did Riley (he almost puked and passed out).  It was just too hot.  Not good.  Bad.

But it also motivated me to get in better shape.  I'm getting slowly better, but this really motivated me to work harder.  So... in response to that rigmarole, I played got out the rackets and played Racquetball with Ame on Monday teaching her the game.  Light game, it was fun.  Played with her again on Tuesday, and she got markedly better quickly.  Wednesday was the 24th of July and the Wasatch Recreation Center was closed... so we didn't play that day, but yesterday Ame and I went again and this time we talked Jennie into coming after work and meeting us.  She wasn't thrilled at first but then...

Then she got into it.  We ended up playing 2.5 hours at the Rec Center, and soaked with sweat and tired beyond belief, we went to Don Pedros for dinner afterwards!  What a treat.

Today, being Friday, Ame had to work so she couldn't come, so I took Riley today and taught him how to play.  He got good FAST.  We played light, since yesterday's game was so damn long (for me).  Anyway, it was fun to teach Ame and Riley how to play, as well as Jennie.  Jennie and Ame got a couple games in yesterday while I watched, and they played pretty tight games.

Anyway, now I need to rest and get ready for Sunday's early football game!

Ame and Jason Painting

Ame asked me to do an oil painting with her. We choose a dark evening in the woods by a babbling stream... a dead tree watching over the scene. Ame painted the majority of it, and for one of her first tries it came out magnificently. I'm excited to see what she can do next.

Jan’s Spaghetti Sauce

Well, I hope this is Jan's (my Mom).  I found a recipe in her golden book hand written and it was kind of vague.  So I went and looked at Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken Mamou with Pasta and used the ‘quantities’ of that recipe to base this recipe.  I’ll have to send this to Rick my brother and see how close it is to what he would do.  We might adjust it, or just add a different one for his.   It turned out pretty good, except my Dad said it wasn't as good, it wasn't Jan’s.  Everyone else loved it. 

Additional note 4/13/2013 – Okay I cooked it again and this time I changed some things and this time I nailed it.  Perfect.  Dad loved it and everyone agreed it was awesome.  The weird thing was how damn good it was the next day.  This is the recipe.  No worries.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil and 1/4^th a stick of butter.

2-3 Yellow Onions, Diced

2-3 Tablespoons of Fresh or Jarred Garlic

Salt & Pepper Bouquet Garni (to Taste)

6 lbs of Meat (I used the following, but feel free to substitute and try and come up with different mixes)

• 2 lbs of Jimmy Dean Sausage
• 2 lbs of lean Ground Beef (Hamburger)
• 2 lbs of Hot Italian Sausage – this is the secret ingredient. I think used Johnsonville.  This was it.  This is the secret.  Don’t use Colisimo.

1 SW Premium Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz cans)

1 SW Premium Tomato Sauce (29 oz)

1 Hunts Tomato Paste (12 oz)

Fresh Oregano

6 Tb sugar

3 Packages of fresh 8 oz cut up mushrooms or three cans of canned mushrooms.

In a huge pot over high heat add the butter and oil and heat till hot.  Then add the diced onions and garlic and season.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until onions get a little translucent and are sweet.  Remove them to a bowl.

Add the meats, and start browning. Season.  When Brown add the onions back in, and then add the huge can of Crushed or diced Tomatoes, and then fill the can with water and add that into the mix.   Do the same with the huge can of Tomato Sauce, adding 1 full can of water. It will feel runny at this point, no worries, add the can of tomato paste.  Add as much oregano as you want. I put a lot.  Fresh leaves I stripped off the stalk and throw in there.  Sprinkle the sugar over it.  Add the onions back into the pot, add the canned or fresh mushrooms.  Bring to a boil.

Then… let it simmer covered for hours.  1-4 hours is fine.  This is it.  That will produce my Mom’s sauce.  The secret is the Hot Italian sausage, the taste permeates everything.  You’ll also flat out be amazed the next day, it tastes totally different and 100% better.  (and it’s great the first time!)

Riley's ACT Score

Riley got a 27 Composite Score on his ACT

English 24

Math 23

Reading 34

Science 28

Riley Turns 17 & Ame's Broken Leg

Riley turned 17 and was taken to dinner at Benihana by his Grandfather!  John and Peggy came up to visit on Sunday to see him, and he spoke with Ken & Brandy on the phone.  I made him his favorite meal, Jambalaya.  We watched James Bond Skyfall after eating a magnificent cake Jennie made.  It was one of my favorite days ever, and I hope it was one of his as well.

Meahwhile Ame broke her leg playing Volleyball.  Her season is over.  :(