Easiest tasty salsa

Towards the end of summer and into the fall I kept making this easy and delicious salsa. And then we ate it all and I made more. I made so much that I decided to freeze some so we could still enjoy it when it snowed. Like today.

1. Prepare ingredients: Cut the tops off of three tomatoes and one jalapeno, peel half an onion and peel one clove of garlic (I usually make more than this, but these are approximately my ratios. Except if you make more, be sure not to surpass your food processor’s max line for liquids…).
2. Roast. Oven at about 450° F. Spray or drizzle the vegetables/fruits with olive oil. Roast for about 20-30 minutes or until the tops caramelize a little. Sometimes I let the tomatoes roast longer than the other pieces.
3. Put it all in a food processor, with the juice from roasting. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Pulse.
4. Done. Refrigerate, or eat hot because maybe you can’t wait. I also froze some and that works too when you have a ton of vegetables in your pest-free and weed-free garden.

"If" A Sunday Poem

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! 
—Rudyard Kipling

Buchart Gardens, Victoria, B.C.

When we were in Vancouver, Chris Pfaffroth and I also went out to Buchart Gardens in Victoria. The word I would use to describe Buchart is picturesque. I have seen lovelier, wilder and more interesting gardens, but Buchart is very well-manicured and richly planted with lovely colors that are pleasing to eye. I think it is quite nice that they represent different country and culture in the gardens—a Japanese Bonsai garden, and English rose gardens for example. There are so many different kinds of roses. As it turns out, I love the Manou Meilland rose of France. Such a color! Look at it online, but know it is more vibrant and pretty in real life. Amazing grace, it made me like pink! I say, go!

Oh look, still eating my gelato. The gelato was found in the Italian gardens. I like Italy.

If I were a photographer, you would be impressed by these pretty dahlias.

We went through with it!

Christopher Pfaffroth and I had a good time on Aug. 3, when we were sealed in the Oakland Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We had a real fun party later that evening, with fine food, dancing, games, great toasts, all with our family and friends. We missed the ones that couldn't make it, but are so grateful for all of the support we have!

Here are a few of the photos from friends and cousins throughout the day (watch out, as there may be a couple of kissing ones):

The Jungle

This summer, when  we were in Utah for two days between travels (Carmack family reunion in CA, wedding, honeymoon, Ohio), we had a little jungle. Our backyard lawn was growing like crazy and Christopher Pfaffroth was in up to his knees (higher than mine. If I said up to my knees, that wouldn't be very impressive). The garden was out ten feet past the boxes, including through the fence and growing large squashes in our neighbor's yard. We thought it looked wild. Weeds up to the windows in the front flower boxes (some of them turned out to be mint, which I corralled). And then we went inside. Tons of spiders. I think just the lack of activity inside seemed very inviting for them. And then there was a wasp nest in our doorway. Christopher Pfaffroth sprayed it. But then they re-built in the grill of my car. Then Chris Pfaffroth went outside to mow and came back in a little later, not for an ice-cold beverage, but for a box and the broom. As it turns out, he found a snake. As it also turns out, he is not so good with the snakes, so I got him (the snake, not Chris P.) into a box and we took him to the river and let him go. Later, in the kitchen, a little mouse snuck out from behind the fridge and then disappeared again. We should have kept the snake. But we got some little traps and I'm thinking he got wise to that and left because we haven't seen him again, dead or alive. This is what happens when you leave your home for a month.

The other creatures were much quicker so we only have a photo of the snake. Also, we had another snake a couple weeks ago! I don't think it was the same one, unless snakes have similar homing devices to pigeons and the like.

Engagements by McKenzie Goff

Hello! We took some engagement photos, well, McKenzie Goff took some photos. I am not a big photo fan usually, but I think there are some nice ones, maybe because there was some photoshopping going on? Please tell us which ones you are fond of!