Barack Obama Wins! America Rejoins Humanity!

It sounds really, really good! President Barack Obama. After two long years of campaigning and eight years of feeling ashamed to have to admit that our president is George Bush, last night at about 10 pm Pacific time, Barack Obama took to a stage in Grant's Park in Chicago, making history and accepting the results of election 2008 with an inspiring speech.

Tears of pride and joy streamed down the faces of millions of Americans, many, of course, the faces of African Americans who have waited for over 200 years for this moment of ultimate acceptance. But all Americans could feel proud of this moment. Here is a leader all can look to as a man of honor, integrity, passion, commitment and intelligence.

His victory speech was eloquent, beautiful, articulate, hopeful and it mesmerized the over 100,000 folks standing in Grant's Park and the millions watching around the world.

Mom and I sat in a living room across town at an election party which was loud and talkative. But when Barack took the stage the mood turned serious--all eyes glistened, all ears taking in his every historic word.

A real sense of pride in our country and a feeling that we had truly rejoined the human race after 8 years of living in the dark ages filled the room.

This morning newspaper headlines across America announced the dramatic news! I looked all over trying to find a copy of the video of the speech and found this link. Enjoy!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155201977/bctid1901061128

Wedding Bells

On Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 3:30 pm GMT, our daughter Kate walked into the formal room set aside for such occasions at the Register's Office in Bristol, England. She was escorted by Nick Abbott and surrounded by family and friends. In a brief but solemn and emotional ceremony, Kate and Nick said their vows and were declared married. Then, with lots of smiles and a few tears, we all walked downstairs and out into the crisp autumn day.

The new family members and friends all posed for a few photographs on the front steps of the Register's Office and then walked a few yards to a champagne reception. Ben, the Best Man and Nick's best friend since childhood, offered a toast to the newlyweds and everyone clinked glasses. More photos, chit chat, hugs, kisses, a few more tears, lots of smiles!

Another short walk up the hill to a Greek restaurant for dinner and more toasts with Retsina, the traditional Greek wine made not with grapes but with pine needles. Course after course came to the table. Amazing! No, not more. Pace yourself, more is coming. And it did!

Decisions were made for getting together in the future. We will fly back again in December to be with the entire family for Christmas, Boxing Day, a few days in Wales and finally, the big formal wedding at Ashton Court Manor on January 3rd, 2009.

We arranged a time for Liz and Ray, Nick's parents, to come out to see us in July when they celebrate their 40th anniversary and we have big plans to show them around our Washington.

We also planned a trip to Greece with Liz and Ray the summer of 2010.

The evening began to wind down when those with children said they needed to go. It was way past bedtime for their babies--and for moms and dads who must set their own schedules by their baby's sleeping cycle. It was past their bedtime as well.

Mom and I walked the 25 minutes across town to the kid's flat leaving them to go their new way into the world on their own, but surely not alone. Two families joined by marriage and a common love of these two wonderful people will watch over them and continue to offer love and support.

The next day they headed off for Prague and a short honeymoon.

Mama's Macaroni and Cheese

I guess I really don't know where the recipe actually came from. All I know is I learned it from my mother who prepared it for me nearly every anniversary of my birth. I requested it every year and mama happily made a couple of giant Corningware casserole dishes full of this ooey gooey delight--enough to feed a family much larger than ours and yet by midnight even the leftovers would be gone! You could walk into the darkened kitchen, quietly lifting a fork out of the drawer and turn toward the leftover pan only to nearly stab another family member already standing protectively over the dish.

My family today almost never enjoys this comforting dish since the carbs and fat are a no no. But when my wife asked me to cook dinner for her choir retreat, which I have done for almost 15 years now, we started brainstorming. Most years we do a carb fest of one type or another anyway--spaghetti or lasagne. I had been doing Costco frozen lasagne for years and I was tired of it. Tired of serving up a frozen dinner to college kids who pretty much survive on that kind of diet and tired of the routine. The kids love home cooking so why not our macaroni and cheese?


This recipe is as easy as they get, very filling and cheap to make, all three important features for this particular dinner. So here it is:


Mama's Macaroni and Cheese

2 pounds elbow macaroni
2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

In a large pot of salted, boiling water add the macaroni. Cook until al dente. Pour off into a colander. Drain well.

Using a cheese shredder, shred all the cheese into a bowl.

In a baking dish place a layer of the macaroni. Lightly salt and pepper the macaroni. Spread a layer of the cheese over the macaroni. Repeat this process twice more.

Bake the dish in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and crisp and the interior miost and gooey.

Yep, that's it! I told you it was easy. No sauces to make. Just mac and cheese. Once you've tried this you'll never go back to that Kraft box! Bon Apetit!
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Da Chili is Good!

With Fall in the air, my culinary thoughts have begun to turn to soups, stews and chowders; hearty, meaty, full of rich flavorful broths and lots of veggies and legumes.

With several groups coming to our home this week, students from the University, friends, etc., I thought it would be a good idea to make a pot of our two favorite and most popular soups--Potato Cheese Soup and my chili beans. My focus in this episode of A Fork in the Road is my chili.

I know there is great debate about how chili should be prepared and taste, whether it should have beans or not, whether it should be sweet or spicy. I have had a lot of bowls of chili in all parts of the United States, most recently on a road trip through the midwest and one of the "chili capitals," in this case, Cincinati, Ohio. I enjoyed the locally famous 3-way chili at Camp Washington and less so at the chain called Skyline. But the chili is to sweet and has no beans. The locals sweeten their style of chili with cinnamon and cocoa powder. Not really my cup of tea, but it was fun and different to have a platter of spaghetti land in front of me slathered with chili, onions, cheese and other available additions, each adding to the name 3-way chili, 4-way chili and so on. Pretty amazing to look at and attempt to consume. Still, I like my chili better!

I can't account for the heritage of my chili's. I learned to make it from my mother who was an Okie and whose parents were from Texas and Tennessee. Does that explain anything?

Regardless, my chili has made a satisfying fall or winter supper for my family for years. It tastes great with chopped Walla Walla or Maui sweet onions and grated cheddar cheese over the top. We have also served the chili over a layer of Fritos and, while living in Hawaii, a layer of sticky white rice. Awesome!

With that big build up, you are maybe wondering just how good is this chili? Well, here's the recipe. Let me know what you think and as always, don't be afraid to tweak my recipe. Add something new to it, increase the spicing. Have fun!

Michael's Chili Beans

1 pound--ground beef
2 pounds--pinto beans (dry or in the can)
3 T chili powder
3 T cumin, ground
3 T brown sugar (optional)
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic, cloves minced
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
water
salt and pepper

With dry pintos make sure to pick them over looking for small rocks, dirt or other inedible material. Rinse dry beans in colander, place in a bowl and cover with water over night.

Next day, place soaking beans in a stock pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil and cook until the beans are tender.

With canned beans, drain in a colander. They are already cooked so cooking will take less time.

Saute onions and garlic in saute pan with olive oil. Pour out onto paper towels and drain. Add back into saute pan along with ground beef. Break up beef as it browns and stir together with garlic and onions. Add in tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, sugar and stir until heated through.

Pour beef mixture into simmering beans. Continue cooking until mixture is well combined. Taste adding salt, pepper and further spicing to match your taste.

Serve with corn bread and top with your choice of accompaniments--sour cream, cheese, onions, Fritos, or rice.

Barbecued King Salmon with Orange Butter Marinade

The Marinade:

1/4 c Orange Juice Concentrate

1/4 c Butter

1/4 c Brown Sugar

3 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 Medium Red Onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

Salt and Pepper to taste

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Add brown sugar and orange juice concentrate. Stir until ingredients are melted and blended together well.

Place salmon filet on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Using a pastry brush, paint the filet liberally with the marinade. Sprinkle onion and garlic powders over sauce, salt and pepper. Scatter the onion slices over the top of the filet.

Preheat barbecue to 300 degrees. Place salmon baking sheet directly onto the barbecue grate. Close lid. After about 10 minutes, slather more of the marinade on the filet and reclose the lid.

The salmon should be done within about 15-20 minutes but keep an eye on it as the thickness of the filet will determine the actual cooking time. To be sure, using a knife, cut into the thickest point of the filet and check for doneness. Paint or pour more marinade over filet just before serving.

Variations: Use lemon slices and lemonade concentrate or lime slices and limeade concentrate in the sauce.

What a Party!

Well, the BIG party was a great success. Nearly 80 folks showed up, the salmon was barbecued to perfection using my friend Rick's awesome recipe and our jazz combo played into the night as the full moon rose over Bellingham Bay and the Cascade Mountains.

The garden, after working so hard on it all summer, was at its peak and we received so many comments about how lovely it was. We scattered chairs and tables around the lawn and folks sat in the gazebo, the upper garden, the secret garden and all around the lawn. Tiki torches near the entrances lit the way into each garden sanctuary.

The only downside to the evening, which turned out not to be for us, was that everyone was gone by 9:30. What's up with people? Anyway, it was a boon for the four of us as we had the jazz combo all to ourselves for a private set on the back deck. Julian McDonough, Mike Allen and Mark, a young bassist (I didn't catch his last name) all played incredibly. We have been long time fans of Julian and Mike and go hear them wherever they play when we have the chance. It was a special priviledge to have them play just for us.

Kate and Nick loved the evening, which was the point, and we had another few days together with them before, first Nick, and then Kate had to say goodbye and fly off back to England.

It was so wonderful having them safely under our roof and to be able to talk and visit, share meals, play cribbage and Tarot, and see more of them together. It has become so apparent to us that these two special people were absolutely made for one another. It makes it all the more incredible that, growing up and living on opposite sides of the planet, they were able to find each other in the first place.

We next see them in October when we fly off to England to see them married. It is a simple ceremony, not the more lavish affair set for January, but more to satisfy the legal requirements of the British government so that Kate is legal in the UK.

We will fly in for just a week to stand up with them along with a few of their closest family and friends. Then we plan to spend a few days in Edinburgh, Scotland before flying back home.

On Their Way Home!

Kate and Nick are, at this writing, packing bags, checking passports, preparing for a sleepless night in preparation for a long flight from Bristol to New York to Seattle and finally home to Bellingham. It will be a long trip for them. It has been a long wait for Leslie and I.

Leslie will be at the airport tomorrow night waiting anxiously for her first sighting of them coming up the hallway and into the main terminal at Seatac. I'll still be at home since I have to work.

They'll head for the nearby hotel or decide to just sit, relax, play a little Cribbage and chat. . .and touch. A hour or so later Elise, Kate's maid of honor arrives from Baltimore and then they can all head for the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Even before their arrival home on Friday afternoon, they will be busy all day shopping in hopes of finding the perfect wedding dress for Kate!

The anxious feeling in our house is palpable. We have waited so long for this moment and now as the actual moment closes in it seems time has slowed to a snail's pace.

To have the entire family under our roof, knowing they sleep safely and soundly across the hall, is a feeling only a parent seperated too long from their child can know. Your heart is almost ready to burst with the joy that you somehow, even if for only a few days, have some at least some power over their safety and comfort!

I only have another day to wait and I can make it. But I wish I didn't have to.