Baklava

As is customary for Michael, he chose a dessert that I've never made before... this week, it was Baklava!  I am happy to report that Michael claims my Baklava was just as good - if not better - than any he's had.  Wow!  ...beginner's luck, I think.

To my surprise, it wasn't TOO difficult to make, but there are definitely some tricks to the trade.  One of which is to remove it from the pan into cupcake wrappers to prevent it from getting soggy.  More tips are explained in the recipe below.

Baklava
 (makes about 18 pieces)

3/4 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/8 cup honey

Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.  Turn heat to LOW and add vanilla and honey.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, being careful not to let it boil over.  Set aside to cool while preparing the rest.


1/2 pound finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts and pecans)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup sugar

Toss nuts together with cinnamon and sugar.  Set aside.

8 oz roll phyllo dough, thawed
1 stick butter, melted

(TRICK:  Buy a bottle of any margarine spray and dump out the contents.  Rinse the spray bottle and use it for the melted butter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish with butter.  Only when you have everything ready, unroll the phyllo dough (you don't want to be interrupted at this point, or the dough can dry out.  If you do need to pause, cover the dough with plastic wrap and a damp towel).  Gently place one sheet of dough on the bottom of the dish, folding it over to fit.  Place another sheet on top of that, again folding it over (I alternated where the fold went each time).  Spray with the melted butter, then arrange 2 more sheets.  Continue in this manner until you've used a total of 8 sheets.  After spraying, sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp of the nut mixture on top, then place 2 more sheets of dough, and spray again.  Continue layering the nuts, 2 sheets of dough, and butter until you only have 8 sheets of dough left, then go back to layering 2 sheets with butter in between.  After you place the top sheet, DON'T spray it yet, otherwise it's too slippery to cut easily.  Using a sharp knife, cut the stack into squares or triangles being careful to not cut all the way through (if you cut all the way through, your sauce will pool at the bottom instead of seeping into each layer).  Once it is cut, spray the top and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the baklava is golden and crisp.  When finished, remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled sauce over the top.   In a few minutes, use your sharp knife to finish cutting all the way through and remove the pieces to cupcake wrappers so they won't get soggy.  Let cool before serving.  Store uncovered to prevent sogginess.

Introducing Oscar

Well, you've "met" him before, but he finally has a name!  Bless the little guy's heart... going nameless for so long.  But I've settled on Oscar because he's starting to show his vibrant green color, and also because he's quite the grouch.  :)  He still doesn't care for me to hold him, so I don't do it very often at all, but once in awhile, I get him out for an adventure... which means he just gets to climb around on my hands. 

Just for grins, here's what he looked like the day I got him:

A Visit with Leo

For our Thursday field trip today, we went to see an exhibit on Leonardo DaVinci.  It was the perfect timing, as Mason is finishing up his school year by writing a research paper on DaVinci.

You'll have to pardon the quality of these photos - all I had with me was my iPhone.  Unlike what you'd expect, this exhibit didn't focus so much on DaVinci's paintings... instead, they had large scale models that were based on his experimental drawings, along with a placard that showed and explained how it was supposed to work.

A lot of the exhibits were hands off, but we could mess around with some others - our favorite was our attempt at building this bridge!

Success!

Overall, we really liked the museum... I had no idea that Leonardo DaVinci was instrumental in the development of many modern things we use today - such as the helicopter, the armored tank (his looked more like a turtle), parachutes, ball bearings... the list goes on and on!

Cool stuff!

Motorcycle Riding

Michael has been working with the boys for over a year now on riding motorcycles.  They enjoy periodic outings such as this to hone in on their skills... and to enjoy the views.  Isn't this absolutely STUNNING?! 

A Day at the Aquarium

Our Thursday field trips have taken on a new twist these days... a 5-year old bundle of energy, to be more specific!  Maddox's school is done for the year, so he has been accompanying us.  This week, we went to the Denver Aquarium.

 Maddox was fascinated by the stingrays... and he is showing proper touching technique here - using only 2 fingers.  (shame on you, Mason!)

But I'd have to say our favorite exhibit was the octopus!

So cool!!

Memorial Day

Even though it's the end of May, I must preface this post by telling you that, here in the mountains, it is nowhere near the temperature necessary to comfortably partake in the festivities that we did.  Temperatures aside, the day was simply gorgeous, so Mason and Morgan drug out our old inflatable slide.

As if it weren't cold enough, the boys had Michael spraying them with the hose as they came down the slide.

Ahhh, it's not that bad!

...but ahhhhhhhh, THIS is better!!

The Big Reveal!

May 16, 2012 was a big day for Mason!  Check it out:

The next pictures are what Mason looked like the morning of September 28, 2010, only moments before he got his braces on, and then what he looked like after. 

So, essentially, here's the difference that 20 months and a few thousand dollars can make in a young man's life:

Pretty amazing, huh?!