Land of Lincoln

My parents arrived in Peoria last night. Jeff & I racked our brains for ideas to entertain them. We decided to spend the day in Springfield. Illinois is, after all, the land of Lincoln and a stop to Central Illinois would not be complete without a tour of our state's capital and stomping grounds of our favorite former president.

It was a real family affair since we opted to take the kids with us. Laney thought the "White House" exhibit was particularly fascinating. It's beautiful and touching as it moves you through the heartfelt years of the presidency and the conclusion of Lincoln's life. Max thought the museum was boring for the most part except for the gun-shot fires during the special effects show...and of course playing dress up with his big sister.

Max dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and Laney is dressed as Mary Todd.
I highly recommend the museum even for those who aren't traditional museum lovers, such as myself. I've toured tons of museums in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. but I have to say this museum is my favorite. It's a top-notch experience.

The exhibits are tastefully done and highly engaging, the treatment of modern technology and holograms are revolutionary, the two special-effects shows are riveting, and the wax figures featured throughout the museum really bring Lincoln's life and the American Civil War to life.

Pickle Game!

Jeff invented a fun way for the kids to earn their right to eat a treat before they go to bed. It's called the Pickle Game. The kids love and it and beg him to play. The kids choose either heads or tails before Jeff flips a quarter. If Laney or Max call "heads" and the quarter shows a heads they can go ahead and eat a treat. But if it's "tails" the kids have to eat a pickle covered with hot sauce. And they have to try again as Jeff flips the coin. It's pretty gross.

This is a picture of a pickle smothered in hot chili sauce. Even half a teaspoon by itself makes me gag. It's so potent. Looks like some squirted out in the wrong direction!

Laney chose the wrong side of the coin! I love her funny face!

"That's a-skusting!" shouts Max. Sometimes he cries when he has to eat a pickle even though he initiates playing the game.

Seafood Soup

About a month ago, I made a revised version of Cioppino (an Italian seafood stew) for dinner. Jeff raved over it but I improvised the recipe so much, I kind of forgot how to make it. So Jeff asked me to blog the recipe so I'll always remember how to make it. He claims it's his favorite soup and I really like it, too! As a warning, this recipe makes about 12 servings, so be sure to cook it in an extra large pot if you try it at home. It's also pretty expensive so I purchased frozen seafood to cut the cost. Don't be turned off by the long ingredient list! It's not too hard to make and I think it's worth it.

3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs butter
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1 32 oz. can chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 Tbs. dried thyme
1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
1 cup water
1 cup sherry
2 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 pounds bay scallops
1 can whole clams
2 cans chopped clams
1 dozen mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 pound cod fillets, cubed
Salt and red pepper flakes to taste


Over medium-low heat, melt butter and olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and garlic and stir until onions are soft.
Add stewed tomatoes to the pot and break them up with a spoon as you add them in. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and sherry. Mix well. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels. and fish. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes.

Check out Jeff on TV

I invited my old work crew at WMBD-TV to do a little story on our Easter church service. Reporter Sarah Barwatcz showed up and interviewed some visitors & our pastor, and featured a clip of Jeff doing drama with our friend, Jada, during the service. It's pretty cute if you want to check it out. I'm sorry you'll have to copy and paste it:

http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=6882

I'm impressed that Jeff was able to write the drama within a week's time and pulled it off only after a few rehearsals. A lot of sweat and tears go into producing a quality church service. I had no idea just how hard people worked behind the scenes before getting a first-hand look myself.

Make Way for Ducklings

Tonight Jeff and I took the kids out to dinner at the "Burger Barge." It's a great little hole-in-the-wall place along the river. There's even a little arcade section at the back of the restaurant for kids. Of course, Max insisted on trying to win a stuffed animal by maneuvering the crane. He lost and cried about it. As he wept in my lap, a woman came over to our table and tried to comfort him by suggesting he save his burger bun to feed the ducks outside. It cheered him up and he and Laney had a blast!

Max: "I felt something bite my butt! I think a duck bit my butt!"

Laney: "A goose bit my finger! It really bit my finger! Cool!"

While I watched Max and Laney feed the ducks, my thoughts flooded with wonderful memories of feeding ducks as a kid in Washington...and I really loved feeding ducks in Boston while attending college. The classic children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" is a story of mallards who raise their family in the Boston Public Garden, just minutes from where I attended college.