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Dear MaryAnn,

Thank you for inquiring about my blog postings, or lack thereof. I offer my apology for the tardiness of my response and beg your forgiveness. My contrition is sincere. See! It comes complete with photographs and a recipe.

Love Always,

Liz

Stella had a Ballet/Tap recital in May. The ballet recitals are so great because the whole school performs one big ballet, each class playing their own parts. This year they performed La Sylphide. It's all very fancy schmancy. This is a picture of the Tap performance.

Why is my little boy throwing a hand sign in this picture? Who does he think he is? He is so weird. In June we took the long way to Utah. We drove through South Dakota and Yellowstone. Some people think Mt. Rushmore is a letdown, but I thought it was amazing. Also, who knew South Dakota was so beautiful? The South Dakotans, I guess. A word of advice: if you ever find yourself driving along the freeway and you notice the bajillion signs advertising Wall Drug! don't get sucked in. Ignore them and drive on. I went there on your behalf and trust me, it's just a big store. I probably should have known, but I was seduced by the billboards and talked Robert into taking me there. We left with a pair of handcuffs, a yo-yo, and a hunk of iron pyrite. I didn't even get my free water.

The kids love love loved Yellowstone and I remembered how much I love love love public lands. Iowa, you are a great place to live, but you do not have enough Wild, Untamed Terrain.

I have my suspicions about Yellowstone National Park. I think it may be really a big zoo masquerading as a National Park. I saw some collars on the buffalo and my theory is that they were shock collars meant to keep the wildlife in.

We spent our time in Utah eating cupcakes, playing with cousins, eating hamburgers (You have In and Out now!) and hiking the trails. We went to a wedding where there was a photo booth, a candy buffet, lots of Diet Mt. Dew, and the bride and groom drove off in a big rig. I drooled over my sister's beautiful kitchen and house remodel even though she still doesn't have a light in the bathroom. That's okay, I don't have a faucet on my bathroom sink. At least she can wash her hands in the dark. I can see my hands just fine, I just have to brush my teeth over the bathtub. I'm rambling now, so here is the recipe I promised. It's a grill recipe, so you don't even need to turn on the stove OR the oven.

Thai Chicken Satay Skewers

Make the marinade:

1/2 cup thai fish sauce (nam pla)

1/4 soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon garlic (that's like, three cloves or so)

zest of three limes, grated

1 lemongrass stalk, tender inner bulb only, finely chopped (I don't know if I have ever used this ingredient. Everything else I have on hand, but who keeps lemongrass around?)

2 Tablespoons minced jalepeno

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro stems (Finally! Something you can use those stems that are left over after making your salsa!)

Mix the marinade up in a bowl. Then slice 2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast into 3/4 inch strips and marinate them for 4 to 8 hours. When it's time to grill, skewer the chicken pieces on bamboo skewers that you have, of course, soaked in water so that they won't burn. You can pound the chicken flat with a mallet at this point to make it extra authentic. Grill and dip in peanut sauce. You can make some dip, but I just buy it from the Asian Section of the market.

I think, if you're aiming for authenticity, it should also be served with a cucumber salad, but I don't bother with that. I just slice up a cucumber and sprinkle some salt and serve it on a platter.