Cutest video ever

a striking resemblance

It's amazing how cute she is, even when her doppelganger is Shawn Wallace from The Princess Bride

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Happy Birthday Nora Adan Mackelprang!

Happy Birthday Nora Adan Mackelprang!
Born: Friday, November 18, 2011
Weight: 7 lbs. 13 oz.
Length: 20 inches
Time: 4:40 pm

Mom's A Bird Whisperer

Dad and I have been taking a photography class. We have an assignment every week to take some photos and then we review them in class. The instructor was quite impressed with my picture of this bird, "Bohemian Waxwing" that I photographed in our backyard. It is not easy to photograph birds, yet I got this great shot. I just gradually crept closer and closer, he posed for me, knowing I had no plans to harm him. Well, actually, it tuns out he had an injured wing and opted to play "statue" rather than try to fly away. After our photography session, I boxed him up and took him to a wildlife rescue clinic rather than leave him to the mercy of the neighborhood cats. I hope he makes it! Dad also got complements from the instructor for his shot of me. We were at Manito Park. The assignment was to get a shot with a narrow depth of field, so Dad was complimented on the blurring of the background so that I was the center of attention in the photo. The instructor also liked the lighting. I just read Emily's recipe on the blog. I think it would be a great idea to post recipes that turned out really well, I'm always looking for something new and delicious to cook.
What would you think of giving book reviews if any one of us reads an interesting book?

Recipe

At the request of Becky and Ashley :), I am posting a recipe for a really delicious butternut squash soup that I made last night. Cameron and I just loved this soup--it had this perfect balance of sweet and savory, it was a beautiful color, it's really healthy, and it would be perfect for a cold winter's night (if we had any "real" winter's nights here in Tucson). It makes about 4 regular servings, or 3 really generous servings. If you try it, please let me know what you think!!

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

3 ½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)

¾ cup chopped carrot

½ cup chopped sweet onion

2 ½ cups chicken broth

¼ cup half-and-half (I used fat free to make it healthier, and it still tasted great)

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add squash, carrot, and onion; sauté for 12 minutes. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half-and-half and salt.

2. Place mixture in a blender, removing the center piece of the blender lid to vent steam. Place a towel over the lid to prevent splatter, and blend until smooth. Serve, and enjoy sweet deliciousness!

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