Pirates of the Caribbean

What are They up to Now?

Inspecting the Work!

Setting Sail

Backyard Ship for the Maties

The kids put their imaginations to work and crafted this delux pirate ship, complete with a 'Jolly Roger', and a wheel at the helm!

Photos taken: September 2, 2007

Busy Day Swiss Steak

Craig's Favorite Recipes

In 1988 I accepted a position with British Petroleum Minerals America (BPMA) at their Alligator Ridge gold mine in Eastern Nevada. There I met a Mining Engineer by the name of Thomas Behling. Tom and I became close friends. BPMA was bought by Rio Tinto and the name of their North American operations where changed to Kennecott. In December of 1989 I transferred to their new operation, the Denton Rawhide Mine near Fallon Nevada. Tom transferred to Rawhide a few months after I did.

Tom was a very intelligent individual. His social skills were lacking, so he didn't have many friends. He use to talk on the phone with Professor Stephen Hawking on a somewhat regular basis discussing his theories with him. Tom wrote a book titled "Introducing Life into Physics". He was a devout catholic, but never married. In 2001 Toms health took a turn for the worse. He had some serious heart problems. Soon he was force to retire. He just couldn't work with his poor health. In 2002 Tom was traveling in Minnesota to visit family. I received a call from Toms sister to let me know that Tom had taken ill and had lost his life. Tom was in his early 50's.

Soon after Toms death I was surprised to learn that Tom had willed many of his possessions to me. Mostly his hunting, fishing, and camping equipment. But also all his books. The books included some cookbooks of his. Tom had on occasion invited Angela and I to his house for dinner. This recipe was found in one of those cookbooks, Southern Living, Cookbook from 1967. We have often cooked this dish, because it is easy, it taste great, and it is good for the tougher meats, like round steak. It makes them very tender.

Now that was a long story to get to a short recipe, but here goes;

Busy Day Swiss Steak

1 tbsp. butter
1 pkg. of dry onion soup mix
2 lbs. of steak (top round, cube steak)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

dot the center of a large sheet of heavy duty foil with the butter. Sprinkle half of the dry soup mix. Place the steak over this; spread with the mushroom soup. Sprinkle the remaining dried soup mix. Fold the foil over tightly closing, making sure to pull the ends up to avoid leaking. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

This dish is great with either mashed potatoes or baked potato. There is lots of 'gravy'.

Enjoy.

Precious Sunflower

I have been experimenting with some new software that I recently purchased. This image was created by taking a picture of some sunflowers and superimposing a watermark over it. The watermark was created from a photo I took of Ashley and Mellany, that I previously posted. I embossed the water mark and added a significant amount of depth to it.

Enjoying Stump Creek

Ruby

Spencer

Preston

Stump creek is only a couple of miles from our home. We regularly spend a few hours of an afternoon there. It is a great place to see wildlife and just to relax. And the best part is it is only a few minutes from home.

Photos taken August 25, 2007

Soccer Night

Preston

Spencer

Spencer

Spencer

Yes I'm bad! (little show off)

Preston

Playing Goalie

Preston

The boys had soccer tonight. They are having a blast this year. They really seem to enjoy it. Preston made a shot nearly the entire length of the field for a goal tonight.

Photos taken: August 29, 2007

Fish Head Anyone?

Saturday after the company family day, we went for a ride up Stump Creek. We stopped along the creek and let the kids out to run around. I was standing near the creek, when Spencer pointed out that there was a snake about a foot away from my feet! On closer inspection we noticed that he was in the process of eating the remains of a fish that someone had gutted. By the time I took these pictures all he had left was the head! I snapped the last picture just before the snaked entered the water and swam to the other side.

Yum yum!

Photos taken: August 25, 2007

Cotton Candy

Preston

Ruby

Spencer

Yesterday was Smoky Canyon Mines family day. It was held at the county fairgrounds in Afton. They had many rides for the kids, a great dutch oven style lunch, door prizes, bingo, etc. All the usual family day activities. The kids took great advantage of the cotton candy, snow cone, and popcorn machines. They ate more junk yesterday than any kid has a right to in a years time.

Photos taken: August 25, 2007

Early Morning Hair Cuts

Preston Gettin Started

Finished at Last

Spencers Turn

That Tickles

Even Dad Has to Have One

Early Saturday morning Mom gets out the shears. It was 42 degrees out, but that didn't stop Angela from taking us out back by the fence and giving us our buzz cuts. We didn't even get out of our pajamas before she had us out there! She wanted to get them done before we were dressed for the day, so we could shower first.

Photos taken: August 25, 2007...Picture of Dad by: Ruby

Cream Cheese Chicken

Craig's Favorite Recipes

I have decided to share some of my favorite recipes. Most of these are going to be a recipe made by someone other than myself, but I have thoroughly enjoyed. I have been the benefactor of many great dishes from three great cooks. My wife Angela, my mother, and my mother-in-law.

This first recipe is one that Angela made last Sunday. Sunday usually means a dinner from the crock pot. Angela throws in a roast and some vegetables, or some other dish, and sets it to cook before church. When we get home dinner is ready. This works out quite nice especially when, like now, we go to church in the afternoon. Currently church for us starts at 11:00 am and is over at 2:00 pm. So we miss lunch and have an early dinner.

Last Sunday we had Cream Cheese Chicken. The first time I was treated to this dish was at my sister Susan's house. I am not sure that the recipe is exactly the same as Angela uses, but Susan's is close. Here is Angela's recipe;

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 - chicken breast (boneless skinless)
2 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese
2 - envelopes of dry Italian dressing mix
2 - cans of cream of chicken soup

Mix the last three ingredients together thoroughly in the crock pot.
Place the chicken on top.
Set the crock pot to low and cook for 4 hours.

We like it served on wheat Penne pasta, but you can serve it with any pasta or rice you like.

Personally I like it on noodles, not rice. I am sure you great cooks out there can adjust the recipe to fit your family. 4 chicken breast is just right for us.

Give it a try, and if you like, let me know what you think.

First Day of School

Home After a Hard Day

Spencer and Preston

The boys spent their first day at school today! Their teacher is Mrs. Bird. There are six kindergarten classes at Afton Elementary. By all accounts they had a blast! I think Mom was more excited than the boys.

The above photo was taken when they arrived home. They are attending 'all day' kindergarten, but they still arrive home 1 hour earlier than Ruby. Once the boys made it home they gave me a call at work to tell me all about it. They talked about shark finger puppets that they made, and of coarse, recess and lunch.

Photo taken by Angela: August 23, 2007