hiking with tots

It was a perfect morning for a "hike" at the top of Anvil Mountain with our friends Zoe, Jasper, Elise & Huckleberry.

 I've decided that when you are 7 months pregnant toddlers are the best hiking companions.

perfect beer-battered fish

It's summer--or close enough, and here in the greatland that means that it's time to use up the old fish in the freezer to make room in anticipation for the new.  One well loved method of using up said fish is ye ole beer batter and fry.  I have been searching high and low for a beer batter recipe that sticks to the fish and fries up that lovely golden brown color, and stays crisp even if you have to hold it in a warm oven while you fry up a giant batch, you know what I mean?

Well...I found it.  

This is really, really good beer batter.  

And it's really easy.

So easy, in fact that it only contains 2 ingredients
(well, 3 if you count salt)

Mix together: 

approximately 3 cups of flour

20 oz beer

(that's like a beer and a half. You can polish off the other half as you cook)

Use a good, flavorful beer.  I used AK amber.

add a dash of salt.

leave it on the counter covered with a tea towel for a few hours before cooking your fish.

I think this is what makes the batter thick and wonderfully sticky to adhere to the fish.

Season your fish with the delicious spices of your choice before dipping in the beer batter and frying.

plain old salt'n'peppa works fine, but feel free to get fancy if the spirit moves.

fry. 

(we always fry in peanut oil because it is stable at high temps--

coconut oil would be good too--but expensive)

don't burn. 

keep warm in a 200 degree oven until all the fish is done.

use up the extra batter to make some amazing onion rings. 

soooooooo good.

serve with the dipping condiment of your choice. 

You might want to schedule some time to go for a hike after you eat this... 

but you won't be sorry you tried it.

Important fashion questions, brought to you by Sadie

You might have read recently in the news that Anchorage, Alaska was voted the worst dressed city in the nation.  Well--I can't say about that one way or another because living in rural Alaska has blinded me to all but the most heinous of fashion crimes.  

That is why I don't bat an eye when my kid elects to wear an outfit like this. 

Let's break it down.

Does it matter that the sunhat is too small? 

nope.

Is my kid totally sporting a shiner that matches her purple shirt?

unfortunately, yes.

Are big girl undies acceptable as both casual and formalwear?

heck to the yes, as long as it means someone goes pee in the potty!

Does it take me fifteen minutes to get both shoes and socks on her feet so we can go into the yard and feed the chickens?

sure does.

In fact, running away from mom while she tries to get Sadie ready to go anywhere has become a really popular sport around here lately.  My solution?  I just sit down on the couch with whatever it is that Sadie wont put on, and say, "come here Cash... come put on this yellow jacket/ pair of socks, shoes...etc" and Sadie immediately comes and informs me that it is "Sasie's" not Cash's and puts it on.  

Do I realize that this trick is going to last for a limited time only?

of course.

But I'm 7 months pregnant.  I'm tired. Its hard to put my own {unfashionable} shoes on...let alone shoe a wiggly toddler. 

I'm hoping that by the time Sadie figures it out I'll be back on my A game. 

But A game or no--I certainly don't plan to censor this little one's budding sense of style. 

Heck.  When it's sunny and 70 in Nome, it kind of seems like undies, a polartec shirt and an old sun hat are perfectly reasonable attire.