May 2005 Photos
In May, the weather started to become much more inviting. This is evident in the amount of May pictures that were taken outside (especially toward the end of the month). You'll note that a few of the pictures indicate that I finally got around to finishing the lid on the kids sandbox.... almost a year later. And yes, in that picture of Berkeley where he is standing next to the chalkboard with the letters B-E-R-K crudely scrawled across it, Berkeley drew those letters himself. Impressive... no?

Here are some sample images:

You can review the full galleries either by accessing the "May 2005" links on Berkeley's web site or Eliana's web site or you can access the galleries directly:

Berkeley's May 2005 Gallery ... (2 years, 10 months old)
Eliana's May 2005 Gallery ... (1 year, 2½ months old)

Beverage Review: Juice: Newman's Own Lemonade and Limeade
Kristy and I hosted a barbecue party on the Fourth of July. We had the standard fare... hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, etc. We usually fill our cooler full of soda pop, but this year I bought a few half gallons of Newman's Own Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, and Limeade. It was on sale at Safeway (2 for $3).

I usually don't bother with fruit drinks that are anything less than 100% juice. I'm a purist I guess. But Kristy is a really big fan of lemonade (and limeade), so when I noted that the juice content is 15% (which is pretty high for lemonade), I decided to give them a try. Much to my surprise, the juice is actually quite good. It isn't so sickly sweet like just about every other lemonade on the market, but still is a bit sweet for my taste (the more tart the better imho). However, as a drink to compliment a summer lunch or dinner, it is more than satisfactory.

Summary: Very good; will likely purchase again

Biff's Angel Hair with Parmesan Sauce (for Kids)
I had to whip up something fast and easy for the kids tonight. I didn't just want to throw together some Easy Mac (which Berkeley loves) or nuke a hot dog (Eliana's favorite)... we do that too often I'm afraid. So in about 15 minutes, I improvised the following pasta dish which, much to my surprise, the kids just couldn't seem to get enough of. Eliana, over the course of the evening, had five helpings... so I thought that I should probably write it down so I can reproduce it at a later date.

angel hair pasta, enough for 4
olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1½ cup milk
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup frozen peas
cayenne pepper
1 slice bacon
1 clove garlic
1 chicken breast, cubed
¼ cup pine nuts
salt
pepper

Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan. Add flour and little bit of salt and pepper and stir until thickened. Add milk and bring to boil on medium-low heat. Add parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Mix in frozen peas and simmer. Add cayenne pepper to taste (I didn't add any tonight for the kids, but I put some tabasco on my own personal plated serving... yum).

Meanwhile, bring water to boil in 4-quart saucepan and add angel hair. Cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse, and return to pan. Add a bit of olive oil and toss (keeps the noodles from sticking together).

On another burner, cook bacon in medium-sized frying pan. Remove bacon and chop, then add to cheese sauce. Mince garlic and sauté in bacon grease. Add chicken and pine nuts (and some salt and pepper), cook until chicken is tender. Add chicken and pine nuts to cheese sauce.

Add sauce to noodles. Toss to combine. Remove a serving or two for the kids and chop noodles into finger length bites. Serve.

Contender for 2005 Picture of the Year
Kristy snapped this picture last week (click to enlarge).

Eliana is fearless.