Flower Power

Sometimes it's good to have too much of a good thing. I just didn't get time to dig out more of my ever spreading Maximillian Sunflowers. They are spectacular this time of year. I have just missed their prime, but thought you might enjoy with us.

Chocolate Sunday!

I have a million things to write, but somehow something always comes up. So--although I need to catch up on a lot of things that happened this Summer I will just tell you a quick fun treat we had.

It was a Fast Sunday and I was looking for a fast easy chocolate cake to put under the fresh peaches I had sliced and sugared lightly. I didn't want a lot of leftovers or at least something I could freeze for later. This seemed to fit the bill. We all decided that the size of the cakes was a bit large. The note on the recipe will tell you what I will do next time.




Dark Chocolate Cake

Since this is a very rich cake and I use chocolate cake as a vehicle for other things like sliced fresh peaches and ice cream, I would make this in large muffin tins next time. Muffins should make the cakes smaller and more in keeping with what I would consider a suitable serveing size. It took considerably longer baking in my oven, so the smaller size should make that quicker also. I would fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full for a nice level top. PS Chocolate and beans are good for you!


1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups (19-oz can) garbanzo beans (chick peas) [I used a 15 oz. can 1 1/2 cups]
4 eggs or 1 cup egg substitute
1 cup no-calorie sugar (Splenda) or sugar [I go real]
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar (optional) for topping
1 teaspoon vanilla
I added 1 tablespoon water and 2 Tablespoons flour to make up for the smaller amount of beans and the fact that we are so high in altitude.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, carefully melt chocolate in microwave, 2 to 3 min. In a blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs; process until smooth. Stir in Slenda or sugar, baking powder, melted chocolate, vanilla, [water and flour if using]; process again until smooth. Spray 8 4 or 6 oz. oven proof custard cups or ramekins (see note) with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly amoung baking dishes

Bake for 23 min or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and place cakes upside down on a large plate and sprinkle with confectioners'sugar . Serve on individual dessert plates with fruit or fruit sauce and/or ice cream if desired.

Adapted from a recipe by Jean Carper in Eat Smart.

2010 Family Reunion 3

Closing Ceremonies

Editorial note: Some explanation for the unusual arrangement of photos for installment 2. I had it looking so good then I checked the publishing preview and there were so many things wrong including pictures on top of each other and all kinds of sizes to the script. I worked and worked and couldn't get it to do anything. Then Aaron helped me and we at least got it to where we could publish. I'm hoping that whatever I did last time will be different this time.

What good are Olympics if you don't get an award. We had some great ones. Everyone got something as you will see. The ones Melanie gave out looked pretty close to the real thing, at least for a reunion.

We started with the youngest. Aren't these the cutest little boys and girls



















Worked our way up.























Not the best picture of Sarah and Annaliese
Then the young men young women



























And Aaron being crowned


















Then we women panning for the camera.












Next the over 30 men:












And finally the passing of the torch for the next reunion in 2012.
(A fun torch watched over all our games.)

Good luck Emily. We are all willing to help in
what ever form you need.

Thanks again Melanie for a wonderful time!

2010 Family Reunion 2

Family Olympics
We had a fun time with the Olympics part. The family flags were a great idea and each unique and fun. There were activities that everyone could have fun trying. 'Course it helps to be the only ones in your class. Dad and I had it made!


We did kick the shoe.
It wasn't as easy as it looks.
sometimes it goes UP








Record keeping became quite involved, and two heads are always better than one.
The hula- hoop had quite a following. Some practiced and practiced until quite expert!













Most of us tried the standing long jump. I think I made a little over a foot.






I think Melina jumped farther than I did.
Aaron was the over-all winner. Much to his older brothers chagrin.

The water balloon shot put and the Frisbee discuss throw were very entertaining. I think the shorter family members were really excited when they saw all those water balloons.

Granddad got lots of exercise chasing the Frisbee.


There was some haggling with the judges.



And lots of looking at the posted results charts.



Studying and figuring where involved!

And that about covers the better pictures I had.
There will be a part three about our closing ceremony

Disappointment and Reprieve

This is a bit of a catch up blog so that you will understand some of our current concerns. The last of March first of April for a "last fling/spring break" vacation we got a fun young women from our ward to stay with Grandma and went to Texas to visit the Parkinson family and pick out a new travel trailer at the largest dealer in the nation.

We had a really good time at the Parkinsons swimming and visiting, and picked out a great 5th wheel. We wanted a floor plan in the Harry Potter tent idea but had to contend with reality. There are no perfect floor designs but we felt we got the best compromise. Since it was in a huge showroom they only take them out and rearrange every two weeks so we couldn't take it home with us as we had planned. We made plans to pick it up when we came back to Alec's graduation.

A couple of weeks later when we were trying to get in touch with the dealer we discovered that they had gone out of business. They had some money and our trailer. Dad did have the phone number of the salesman we worked with. He called and found our salesman was very surprised to be out of work but was gracious in giving us suggestions of what to do. We called the manufacturer and because we had all the info on the trailer they were able to locate it and get it shipped to another dealer in the same area. Unfortunately we had by this time purchased plane tickets for Alec's graduation and couldn't pick up the trailer at that time. We are still trying to get our down payment back, but we have a 5th wheel somewhere south of Dallas.

Here a the couple of pic. I remembered to take. I only used my cell phone and sometimes those don't turn out all that well.
Picnic at the church for conference.




Megan and friends ready for the Church Prom. I got to help a little with the dress Jenny was sewing for her. It was beautiful and a lot of work, and didn't quite get finished in time.


PS...... We just found out that Visa has gotten our down payment money back. Hurray!

2010 Helm Family Reunion Part 1

2010 Fun and Games

What a delightful and successful family reunion we had. Way to go Melanie! I'm not going to do much writing, but thought you would like to see the few good pictures I got. I've either got to get a better camera, or take photo lessons.

Waiting for breakfast. Didn't we have some great meals.

Hard at work

We did a lot of visiting

Bird watching
(Black-headed Grosbeak)
taking photo's

Lunching
Hiking and waiting for buses.
some got a lot of time to play in the dirt
And had fun with cousins!
thanks to Melanie and Emily there were also bubbles when we weren't busy with other stuff.

All in all we sure had fun. Thanks everyone.
Olympic events to come.

Missing my Helpers...

Sometimes (well lots of times) I get lonely and really miss my kids.

I remember as they were growing up, wondering what it would be like to have the house all to myself, no messes caused by other people, quiet, breathing space, maybe even time to read and not feel guilty. Actually that really didn't happen all that often because I mostly enjoyed being the mother.....watching how they grew and changed. I was blessed to have such fun creative and challenging children.

I miss their conversation and hearing their changing view of life. They helped me see myself more clearly and analyze more fully what my understanding was on diverse subjects. I even had occasion to see that I was wrong! It's also always been so fun to sit around and retell the family stories, drawing us closer and keeping the family's oral history alive and clarified or exaggerated as the case may be. Every family needs a few legends.

I know that this happens to Dad, too. He will often say before a General Priesthood meeting that it just doesn't seem right to attend without his sons.

This spring more than ever I'm missing the garden help I always got. When offered the chance to work outside or in, my kids, usually chose outside. All our gardens didn't seem too much when we all worked together or when each took responsibility for some small part. Just at the most critical gardening time I'm having back problems. Dad is teaching seminary so he always has a lesson to prepare, and there are no helpers. You can see why I'm waxing a little philosphical.

Life is like that: Always a challenge no matter what the time or circumstances. I remember Grandma Ricks saying to me, "I'll bet you see my schedule and think it would be easy, but it's all I can do and more. " I now truly understand what she meant. I've tried to live my life not looking forward to the future to fix things, but being in the here and now and enjoying as much as I can of the situation as it is. Sometimes I've done it really well--other times....?

Now there are just more people to miss, our grandchildren for instance. They are such interesting and fun people. We would really like to spend a lot more time with them. But time and places interfere, so we'll just have to be happy with the chances we get, and know that in the eternities the love and relationships we are forming here will be enhanced and broadened. Heaven, to me, seems like it ought to be a place where families can be part of each others lives, and all our good friends become part of our family!

Dad said this sounds a bit melancoly. It really isn't meant that way. I actually think it ends quite upbeat.

I have some fun things to do today and it's Dad's Friday off. That makes it a date day, acutally better and longer than a date night, since we can't have a date night with Grandma unless she's part of it.






.

We are greatly missing our company from the Christmas holidays. Gradually we are returning the house to normal, but it's hard to do because it just emphases the loneliness.

Thanks to all of you for participating in a wonderful Christmas, and thanks to you guys, Dad and I are about to be really "fit". Dad has already become a "pro" in bowling, and always beats me now. I've tried a lot of the fun things that we can do with our wii.

Several of you have asked for the recipe I used for the pork for New Years, so here is the original, my changes, and where I found it.

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin

*Makes about 2 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, enough to serve 8-10 adults*

Rub Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt (I used way less can't remember exactly how much less maybe 1/2)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used the straight stuff, I keep mild chili powder on hand)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/2 lb. total), each tenderloin cut into two chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar ( I think I used about 1/2 of this too)
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (I used 1 teaspoon of my Krogers Hot sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet that is ovenproof (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)/originally from Nate and Kylie