Cath In Color

Last night we got to experience some Puerto Rican food, thanks to Jim’s girlfriend, Sandra.  Once a month we get together for food, wine and good company.  Sandra offered to make dinner this month at her house.  We started out with some delicious Sangria with deep fried mozzarella balls and stuffed olives.  For dinner we had a marinated pork roast, avocados w/pico de gallo, rice w/pigeon peas and something new for us…we all tried plantains.  Sandra told us that Puerto Ricans are big on vinegar, so most of these dishes have vinegar in them.  The roast was marinated in vinegar, salt & pepper and oregano…simple but delicious.  For our last dish of the night, we had flan.  This is a custard dish with caramel drizzled over it and fresh whip cream.   Needless to say, we were full puppies when we left her house, but in a good way.  Thank you Sandra!

Today I went on a field trip with Kelly’s girl scout troop.  We went to a place called, The Works.  It was a museum of science & technology.  Lots of hands on gadgets for the girls to play around with and discover how they work. 

The first part of the field trip, the girls gathered together in a room and a woman from the museum instructed them in an architecture class  (this is the badge they were working on).    They got to make a replica of the Sears Tower in Chicago.  She showed them a few books on architecture, talked about some famous architects, and showed them some neat buildings & homes that are quite unique as a start to their day.  The girls were quite impressed.  Then it was their turn.  They got some pieces of precut wood and got to use a saw and cut these pieces to the right lengths.  After the pieces were cut, they glued them together, using the grid in front of them to build their tower.  Neat project.

Then it was time to explore in the museum.   Our favorite thing was the “light harp.”  It was a real harp that had no strings but when you pretend to play it, it would play.  It uses lasers & beams of light, so when you “pretend to play” the beams become the strings and viola!  you become a harpist.  It was so soothing to play this.  Kelly & I both decided we need to have one of these at home!  ha  

It was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

The Light Harp

Nate made his own jersey

I’m still speechless about the Viking’s game last night but I’ll do my best to write about it.  They fought hard but just as a typical Minnesota team, they made some major mistakes that cost them the game.  Turning the ball over five times doesn’t win a game.  They can’t choke like that during the playoffs.  We were soooo close to winning that game and I truly believe that Longwell would’ve made the big kick with 3 seconds left to win by three points.  But we never got a chance to try.   Favre got beat up pretty bad but really hung in there and showed how tough he can be…or how bad he wanted to win this game.  It’s all over now and we’re so sad.  They gave us a great season and it was a lot of fun to watch them play.  Sundays will be quiet again here at the Solberg house and all we can do is hope for another great season next year.   sniff-sniff

Tonight was Math & Science night at the girls’ school.  They had to show off their experiments and were judged on their presentations.  Both Megan & Kelly worked very hard on these projects and it payed off.  Both girls won grand-prize ribbons and get to move on and compete at the regional science fair in Mankato this spring.   We are so proud of them!  Good job girls.

Our winners!

They did it!   Vikings win 34-3 over the Dallas Cowboys.  What a fun game to watch.  We decided to make a whole day of lounging down by the tv with the fireplace blazing the entire time.  Nate’s pork sandwiches were perfect game food and Megan surprised us with delicious banana-grape smoothies.  Our neighbors sent over some buffalo dip which we used with our chips.  Football is all about the food & the screaming.  It was a great day for Minnesota.  Look out New Orleans…here we come!!!

Our Viking display

This weekend, it’s all about the colors….purple & gold.  Of course, I’m talking about the Minnesota Vikings.  The stores are decorated in these colors.  There are flags to be bought, cupcakes & cakes to be eaten, flowers to be purchased and even the meat department used purple kale to decorate their meat trays.   It’s all about football and we love it!   Nate & Kelly came home with a flower bouquet that we proudly displayed in our kitchen.    The big game is tomorrow at noon.  Nate is slow cooking pork ribs today so we can enjoy shredded pork sandwiches while watching the game.  Mmmm….perfect game food, don’t you think?   So cheer on those Vikings tomorrow and hopefully I’ll be chatting about them next weekend when we most likely will be in New Orléans playing the Saints. 

Go Vikings!!

After school today, the girls were working on their homework and I was checking my email when all of a sudden a shadow was cast over the sky.  This caught our eye so we immediately looked out the window just in time to see a flock of ducks land in our front yard.  There were about 15-20 of them.  They landed right underneath the bird feeder and immediately started to eat the seed that had fallen out of the feeder from the birds.    I quietly & carefully opened the front window to try to get a picture, but this was the best I could do.  We didn’t want to scare them off.   It was really cool to watch them.   Jazz was going nuts, tail wagging & whining.  She would’ve given anything to run out that front door and chase after them.  They hung around for about 15 minutes before moving on.  I’m sure they were heading South.  Smart ducks!

Megan's experimental loaves

The girls’ weekend has been spent working on their science fair projects with the help of their dad.  Kelly is doing an experiment on which brand of batteries lasts the longest and Megan is doing her experiment on what factors affect a loaf of bread.  She made and baked six loaves of homemade bread yesterday.  Then the four of us had to taste-test her loaves.  Mmmm…that was fun (except for two of them).  It was a fun for them to see results right away.  They got so excited.  Kelly is still testing her “c” batteries today and we have to keep checking the tiny lightbulbs to make sure they haven’t gone out.   Next step for the girls is to write-up all of their data and then post it all to their cardboard poster board, along with photos that they took.   All of this then will be on their table for display at the science fair in late January.   Both girls have taken the afternoon off and have gone to their friends’ house.   I can’t help but keep checking those tiny lightbulbs for Kelly. 

Kelly's 'testing' box

We celebrated our new year by watching the Rosebowl Parade yesterday.  From there, I didn’t get much done and didn’t get too far from the couch either.  What a relaxing day.  I made an egg bake the night before so that we could enjoy a nice brunch late in the morning.  Later on we watched the Rosebowl game and Kelly & I played a long game of Scrabble while sitting by the fire.  Megan played on the computer and Nate enjoyed the game.    After the game, we got up and made nacho’s for dinner while watching a movie called Igor.  Very funny and enjoyable.

I love having a fireplace in our family room.  There’s nothing more cozier then laying on the couch, listening to a crackling fire and smelling the aroma of the wood.  What a great way to enjoy our first day of the new year. 

Cheers to you!

My homemade Bailey's

Tonight is New Years Eve and we say goodbye to 2009.  I’m not good at remembering what all happened this past year, but I can’t think of anything bad, so I”ll say it was a good year.  We did get to travel this summer and that is my highlight of 2009.  It also was a good year because both Nate & I have jobs.  In this past year, we’ve seen & heard of a lot of our friends who have lost their jobs and we are very thankful to have been able to keep ours.  The girls are doing fabulous in school and continue to try new things, new sports and gain more friends.  That’s what it all about for kids!

Speaking of kids….Megan went outside and played today….brrrr.  But anyway, she found this chunk of snow and sculpted it into the shape of Africa.  Pretty cool.  What an artist!  No wonder she’s in the gifted program.  ha! 

Enjoy your night and be safe.

Megan & her continent