We have so many picky eaters that I’ve found PIZZA is the remedy for what to serve at a party! Today, we are celebrating Dan’s Mom Lynnette’s birthday 🙂
I purchased a Pizza Craft portable outdoor pizza oven about a year ago.
It is my pretend wood burning pizza oven in my pretend garden in my pretend outside kitchen.
Matt has become the pizza cooking expert.
I use the Craftsy recipe for Pizza Dough. It is a no-knead method developed by Peter Reinhart
I’m late to the table with some vegetables (like Bok Choy and Kale). My Farmer, Danelle, has quietly been the Veggie Pusher for a few seasons now.
I bought some Bok Choy a few days ago, thinking I would stir fry it. But I wasn’t in the mood. I wanted some calming soup!
My recipe is a combination of a few I found on the internet coupled with my own pantry items 🙂
  
   
Summer Soup with Chicken
1 Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2-4 Carrots, diced
2-3 Potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt & Pepper
4-6 Bok Choy stems, sliced and diced. Reserve leafy top and chop. Set Aside.
Saute in a mixture of bacon grease, butter and Olive Oil (my holy trinity)
Add 4 teaspoons Better Than Broth and 4 cups water OR Stock
Let cook at medium-low until veggies are soft.
Mix with a Boat Motor if you like it smooth. I like it half smooth and half chunkey.
I then added 3 diced chicken tenders and cooked until chicken was cooked thru.
Add the Bok Choy tops and cook a bit longer until they are wilted.
Serve with Crackers. Maybe a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese
I must admit, after standing IN the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, I was starting to feel my blood pressure rise because I LOVED HOW IT LOOKED!!! Follow this link to see a few pro-photos of the place. One Librarian there told me that Frank Lloyd Wright once lived in and worked at that building. You can take a virtual tour of the Monroe Building!
I KNEW IT!!!!
I loved this building!
My Matt has wanted to be a Navy SEAL for as long as I can remember. At first, he wanted to be a Power Ranger….then Johnny Quest……then maybe a LEGO guy. He told long, drawn out stories about the adventures of all his “guys” when playing with trucks, cars and action figures. He’s a great storyteller!
We’ve also been reading all the books we can get our hands on about the SEAL life. We know it is hard. We know it may not be for Matt. We know that he might not even get IN. We know that he might last an hour. We know that he might get hurt. Or killed.
We. Know.
Yet, we Don’t. Really. We don’t know squat.
I purchased this book about 5 years ago and every once in a while, we browse thru it. I cannot get thru the whole book in one sitting. I think Matt can. He and his roommate were VERY motivated by this book when they were in Navy ROTC.
Recently, I found out that the book “SEAL The Unspoken Sacrifice” was going be an exhibit at the Pritzker Military Museum in Chicago.  Author and Photographer Stephanie Freid-Perenchio extended us an invitation to attend the VIP Opening Event.
I made our In-Flight Lunches and we hopped on the plane to Chicago! We booked a room at The Silversmith Hotel and took the Orange Line Train from Midway Airport. It was a fun experience! The Hotel is 10 steps away from the train stop and the Pritzker Military Museum is a block away from the hotel.
The evening was Just. So. Cool. Just what Matt needed…..Seeing great Navy SEAL photographs, Hearing great Navy SEAL stories, and Meeting some Great Navy SEALS!
I loved how the Pritzker Museum made clear “stickers” of a few photos and put them on the windows.
These 3 Navy SEALS spoke for over an hour about their experiences.
I would be your Swim Buddy ANY DAY ANY TIME, Matt.
Here. We. Go!
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