Blast From the Past

I wanted to share a blast from the past but I want to start with something different.  So I will get to that blast from the past in the near future. 

So I have had annoying things growing on the other side of my back fence and I don't like how it looks especially if those things are annoying Chinese Elm trees.  Whitney and I snuck into the neighbors yard last year and cut down the beginnings of the elm tree.  Then of course it came back with a vengeance this year.  So I was talking with Hannah and Jonas while we ate a little dinner on the back patio and we decided we would tackle it again this year.  Hannah did not want to go around the block and enter that way.  Instead she wanted to climb the fence.  So I helped the kids over the back fence to trespass into the neighbors yard.  We only had 2 crotch-a-doodle incidents, when Jonas became high centered on the top of the fence both going over and coming back.  So they worked on it for about 30 minutes under my direction from the other side of the fence atop some stacked lawn chairs.  They then threw the limbs over into my yard..

Good for nothing Chinese Elms.  I thought I was done with the elm nightmare ever since I moved from the old house.  They were the bane of my existence there. 

Hannah went out to take some pictures of the work we had done last night and I guess the quail in the neighborhood were gathered for a meeting on my back fence.  I have never seen so many grown quail all together at once.  I am sure that Jim has, but I have not.  SLC is full of quail this year.  Earlier in the Summer I saw a family of quail crossing the road.  Dad, then Mom and then about 6 or 7 babies all following in single file behind them.  The babies were about 2 inches high.  I had never seen something that small run so fast.  It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.  And that is coming from a non-bird lover.

Here are a few latecomers.  I am wondering what the quail meeting was about and what they needed to discuss.   Probably something like, " It's about time someone took care of that crummy, annoying Chinese Elm tree."

The next comment by the birds went something like this..." The Rose of Sharon is looking ever so nice though"

This morning we made some lovely pancakes.  I think my pancakes are delicious.  Actually they are Betty Crocker's buttermilk pancakes with a splash of vanilla and a little water.  I love them with my mix and match of syrups.  I love Saturday mornings because I get to make them.  I have been especially obsessed eating them with....

This lovely coconut syrup that I have flown in from Hawaii.  Otherwise known as buying it on Ebay.

This afternoon I was invited to John and Rebecca's Stake Music Workshop.  I have never been to anything like this.  It was fantastic.  I took the chorister and choir classes.  They were given by a lovely instructor that Rebecca has known for years.  I learned a few things that I can hopefully retain and use.    I learned a new word  "Ictus".  We sang a beautiful song that I hope to be able to sing with a few other family members in the near future and then there was a little organ recital at the end with performances by Clara, the piano teacher to Arden and Gabe and then the sort of world famous Seth Bott.  I just sat and watched his feet as he played.  I really enjoyed it and am glad that I took the time to go. 

Then I came home to start on dinner.  This is were the Blast from the Past comes into play.  Remember the restaurant The Italian Place in Price and other various places.  Well as a child I had my first taste of the Steak and Everything sandwich and I was hooked.  SLC used to have one of their restaurants but it went out of business.  I have eaten at the one in Orem but I recently found out that there are others in Utah County.  I did some research to try and find a similar recipe because I did not want to have to drive 40-50 minutes to get my fix.  Well I found one on Pioneer Woman and I went ahead and tried it tonight and it was delicious.  Very messy, but very delicious.   

You can find it on her site and search for steak sandwich or MM sandwich PW style.  I did not use all of the butter she did, oh and I added tomatoes like they do at The Italian Place.   I also did a few Yukon Gold oven fries. I did them with olive oil, salt and pepper at 425 for 15 mins then turn them over and cook for another 15 minutes.   It was just as good as any restaurant could do or probably better and much more healthy.  

It took me back to the first time I had the Steak and Everything Sandwich from The Italian Place at some sort of evening picnic were were having at  the park in Price.  Do any of you remember that?  You know that I have a head for good food memories and a belly for good food.