I can't believe it's been so long since I've been here, but we've started a new project and I wanted to write about it. We have so many cookbooks and cooking magazines, plus all the recipes you find on the internet, that we've decided to start actually using them. So, on Wednesday one of us picks a book or a magazine (or the download prints notebook) and the other picks a page number. Whatever recipe is closest to that page is what the page number picker cooks for dinner the following Wednesday. So far we've been doing it for three weeks.

The first week Marv had to make Easy Roast Turkey Breast from the November/December 2007 (issue 89) of Cook's Illustrated. Well, we didn't have a turkey breast, so he used a whole chicken, but he figures there was a spot that wasn't completely thawed and it didn't turn out too well. The chicken noodle soup from the carcass was to die for, though.

After dinner Marv chose the July/August 2009 (issue 99) copy of Cook's Illustrated and I picked page 10 which had the recipe for Really Good Grill-Smoked Pork Chops on it. Well, as my friends know, I don't cook, but more importantly, I don't grill, so I was really nervous about this one. We have a new butcher shop in town where we went to get some nice thick, bone-in pork chops. I read and re-read the directions for smoking and cooking the pork chops on the grill (Thanks Justin and Vy for the great grill!! It worked like a charm!), and was pleasantly surprised when they turned out great and everything came together at the same time. The sauce for the chops was wonderful and we're going to try it on some chicken one of these days.

Our third Wednesday random recipe was for Marv from the May 2011 issue of Cooking Light and was roasted Shrimp and Broccoli with Garlic-basil Corn. Our broccoli was frozen and was a little sad looking, but the dish was delicious. We didn't have any fresh basil, so we just had garlic corn on the cob, which worked for me!! Again we went to our new butcher shop in town to get the shrimp, which turned out to be wonderful.

Next week is my turn and I've been given page 72 of the January/February 2012 issue of Cooking Light. It's Beef Tenderloin Steaks and Balsamic Green Beans with Parmesan Potatoes.  We'll see how I do this time. My big concern is getting everything to come out at the same time. I've just completely lost the knack of how to do that since I haven't been cooking these past years. Wish I had pictures of our other meals. I'll have to remember to snap some shots at our Wednesday Random Dinners from now on. And now that I'm caught up with our Random Dinners,  I'll post more on how the dinners turn out--what went right and what went haywire.

Off across the USA

We're on a cross country trip at the moment driving from Shelton, Washington, to Brooksville, Florida, and back. We've been visiting friends and family and sightseeing. We've traveled 4,000 miles and have arrived in Brooksville and will turn around and head home on Tuesday, going a different route and visiting different friends and family. When we return home at the end of October, I've signed up to do Art Every Day Month with Leah Piken Kolidas. Before we left on our trip I had been doing 3 x 5 pieces of art along with a group at Cloth, Paper, Scissors, but haven't kept it up while we've been traveling. I'm excited to get back to the art.

Grandkids--what a joy!

I know I've been a deadbeat blogger this year, but I finally had to share a note about our youngest granddaughter. She's two and a half and such a hoot!! She and her brother were down for a couple of days with their Mom and we decided to let them do some sewing. Got out the embroidery hoops and let them pick some fabric. Elsa wanted to "sew first." Didn't really pay any attention as they could both sew at the same time. Had her poke her fabric with her needle and pull it through the other side. Poke and pull. Poke and pull. Finally she asked why we were poking the fabric. Pointing to my sewing machine she informed me she wanted to sew and she wanted to sew first. None of this poking the fabric business for her!!