This past Saturday we attended the long-awaited Ralph’s World concert at Englert Theater here in Iowa City. It was a lot of fun. In the middle of the first tune, Ava declared she wanted to go back to the car. Leah and I were a bit taken aback, but by the third song, all the kids in the audience had come to the front of the seating area to jump and dance, and Ava was right there in the mix (with her monkey Butterfly in tow). By the end of the show, she was up on stage with the band (and a hundred or so kids and parents). So, she came around.
After the show, we went to dinner with Kathryn and Alex at a nearby restaurant that was blessedly empty. Then it was off to the gelato shop before heading home.
Yesterday we met our friends Dawn and Jim in the Amanas for breakfast. Afterwards, Ava and I headed home while Leah and the others went off on a shopping expedition in Williamsburg. At home, Ava and I planted two Oak saplings in front of the house. This activity meshed nicely with an episode of Caillou Ava’s been watching recently that highlights the importance of trees. These little trees we planted aren’t even a foot tall yet, but I’m looking forward to watching them grow along with Ava. She had a great time helping me dig and water the little plants; if they can make it through the winter, I think they have a great chance of surviving long term.
After we planted the trees, I got Ava some lunch and prepped a couple chickens I planned to cook. I’ve mentioned these chickens here before and have even put up a couple photos. They are absolutely the best chickens I’ve ever tasted. Yesterday, I baked two in a 9×13 baking dish with a little salt, pepper, coriander, thyme, and a bay leaf stuck inside the cavity of each. After cooking at 375 for 2.5 hours or so (with a couple bastings), the skin glows in such a way that it’s nearly impossible to resist. Here, one of these is worth a thousand words:
In the winter months, I’ll cook up one of these and use the meat for white chili. The carcasses make amazing chicken stock, too. I really shouldn’t write posts like this so early in the day…now all I want to do is go home and pull those leftovers out of the fridge.