The Search for Miss Direction: Mount Rushmore goes to the Gatchel's!

The other night I had mentioned to my friend, Amber, that I need to make a trek to the outlets here soon to try to track down the Bean a winter coat (Don't think the 2T from last year is going to cut it this year) and asked if she might be up for an adventure. Then I saw the forecast and the thought of traipsing around the outlets in the rain all day didn't really appeal all that much. So when she instead suggested that the Bean and I head up her direction and make come cookies, drink coffee and just hang out I was all over it. What a great morning! She had been wanting to make Amish Sugar Cookies and it made me laugh when I realized she had picked the same recipe I had used a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about Pennsylvania. I think these came out better than the ones I made. I mean, EVERYTHING tastes better when you make it with friends. We really enjoyed ourselves, so thanks to Amber (and A!) for having us over this morning! Still gotta find that coat, maybe after the princesses on Saturday....

We headed home for some lunch (and for me to scrub the shower - shout out to my Mom for the suggestion of the washable curtain liner - love it!) and then get the Bean started on a South Dakota inspired project today. I had seen this idea when I was working on gathering South Dakota materials and knew this would be right up our alley. Mikayla colored her Presidents (and may I say that those are THE most colorful interpretations of Jefferson, Roosevelt and Washington ever) and we put it together for her. Noah created his when he got home from school. His is much less colorful ;-) Who knew that my kiddos belonged on the side of Mount Rushmore??

Unless you're actually from South Dakota, I'd say that there's a good chance you've never heard of tonight's dinner as it is apparently a regional specialty. Chislic it was! According to wikipedia: "Chislic is typically a simple preparation. Cubes of cut lamb, beef or venison, generally no bigger than a half-inch, are cooked in a deep-fryer. Generally, chislic is served medium rare to medium—i.e. warm pink inside. After cooking, while the meat cools on a paper towel, it is seasoned with seasoned or garlic salt. The cubes are eaten hot using toothpicks." Well okay then! I used this Chislic recipe tonight. Grant now wants to move to South Dakota, I think. I was shocked that everyone like this as much as they did. (The Bean would rather we not make it again, but the boys feasted) They had fun eating it with toothpicks and the other fixings suggested in the recipe. I'm not kidding - I think Noah may have eaten half a pound of steak tonight... I also made (last night) this Bean Bread. When I found the recipe that starts with a can of pork and beans and ends with a sweet banana bread like loaf I knew I had to try it. My kiddos had it for breakfast without even knowing it had beans in it! Don't think I'll rush right out and make it again, but it was fun. I had intended on a sunflower studded cookie for desert tonight, but we still had some leftover kutchen and those yummy sugar cookies, so maybe later in the week.

Catching up with a friend for coffee tomorrow and who knows what else. Probably the We've Been There State, we'll see. And I'm making two recipes I can't even being to figure out how to pronounce :-p So until then...

South Dakota Fun Fact of the Day: Belle Fourche is the geographical center of the United States of America, designated in 1959 and noted by an official marker and sheepherder's monument called a "Stone Johnnie".