I love Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite places.  It's the place in California that makes me feel like I'm back home in some of the ways that I miss.  I absolutely love all the weekends I get to spend there with my Tall Dark and Nerdy, like this one in June. 

We get out of the car when we first arrive on Friday night and I spend my first several minutes in Tahoe just staring at the stars.  I spent countless nights growing up lying in a pasture or yard and staring at the stars, so it's nice to get that feeling again.

 

 I also love being near water.  I think I can blame that on my time rowing for Stanford, and on my water-loving roomie Mik.  Lakes don't get much prettier than Tahoe.  This trip was my first time being in Tahoe in the actual summertime, and it did not disappoint!  The water was cold, but it was beautiful, with three distinct colors of blue in layers.








Something about Tahoe makes me want to be adventurous.  I get there and I want to snowboard, hike, kayak, paddleboard, and do anything else I can try!

TDN also planned for us to watch the sunset at Emerald Bay, which has special sentimental value for me.  I saw a photograph of Emerald Bay last year over graduation weekend when TDN, Grams, baby sister, Papa Rist, and I were looking through a gallery.  I looked at TDN and said I wanted to go there - and had no idea where it was!  Over my birthday weekend (3 months later), he planned for us to spend an afternoon at Emerald Bay, and when I looked confused about what that was, he reminded me of the photograph.  He is so thoughtful.  That makes every visit to Emerald Bay special to me.

Any day that ends in s'mores is a great day for me, and this was no exception!

10 Years

It's hard to keep the tears from my eyes while writing this or even thinking about it.  Ten years ago, I lost my best friend.  A man many loved and admired and depended on, but to me, he was so much more.

 

I was incredibly blessed as a child, because when my parents were at work, my sisters and I didn't spend our days in a daycare center or with a babysitter or nanny.  We got to spend them at the family farm with Grams and Grandpa.

 

My grandpa was the epitome of the strong, silent type.  He didn't say much, but when he did, everyone listened.  I was one of the few people that got to see another side of him. 

 

I spent countless days riding on the fender of his tractor going back and forth between the farm and fields.  We took many trips to market in the old blue pickup - usually stopping for ice cream on the way home!  And we enjoyed many "lunches" of graham crackers and Ovaltine.

 

I don't know what it was, but there was something about the two of us that just worked.  When we were riding in that pickup together, I heard stories of his childhood on the farm, adventures with his brothers, and humorous moments of his early courtship with Grams.  I didn't know until many years after his death, that these were rare experiences.  He and I shared stories that he never even shared with my dad, and I still just can't believe it.

Grandpa, I'm so glad I got to spend all the time with you that I did.  There is so much of your life still on the farm and I can feel it every time I'm there.  I still love to watch storms from the porch or sitting inside with the door open, because you taught me how to relax and trust that I'm being watched over.  You were such an amazing man and I'm so glad to have shared so many memories with you, I just wish you had been here for even more of them, like my graduation from Stanford.  I wish that I could have you by my side in the future when I get married and have children of my own, but I know you are still in my heart.  I love you and miss you every day, Grandpa.

#tbt - Cousins

My family has always been very close, especially the "cousins." 

 

My Grams always loved to tell people that she waited a long time for grandkids to come along, then she got 7 in 7 years.  Maybe it was because we were all so close in age, or because we all lived within 3-1/2 hours of each other, or maybe it was because of our Grams, but I still know that I can count on my cousins for anything.

 

This picture is from the morning after my cousin Les's graduation party less than a week after I finished my freshman year at Stanford.  Six of the seven of us were there - #7 was at Army basic training - and we snapped a picture with Grams before the first family left for home in the morning.

#tbt - Grams's wallet

Grams wanted to show off the pictures in her wallet - to the people in her wallet -  over Easter.  These gems were in there, and have been for a loooong time!

 

I'm not exactly sure what year these are from, but I'm guessing I was in probably 3rd grade, which would make this Baby Sister's picture from kindergarten!

 

 

#tbt - Toothless

I'm joining the Instagrammers and their #tbt craze.  #tbt stands for "throwback Thursday" and has been a fun trend to watch.  Friends post pictures of themselves or their friends in the past, whether it was 6 months ago or when they were 6 months old.

While visiting my Grams at home last month, I enjoyed looking at old pictures of my cousins and I growing up displayed proudly on her piano.

This gem, my first tbt post, can be found affixed to my mom's file cabinet in her classroom at school.  Apparently, I had just lost some teeth and wanted to show off the gap!

Panakuchen

I grew up eating German pancake - a.k.a. panakuchen - and Swedish pancakes much more often than regular (American?) pancakes.  Baby sister and I still get treated to Grams's panakuchen often when we go home.

After spending some time on the phone with my Grams one afternoon, I decided to make her panakuchen for dinner.  She was so excited that I would be making her recipe that she made me promise to invite Tall Dark and Nerdy over for our German version of breakfast-for-dinner.

I don't make it as well as she does, but it was pretty delicious!  TDN and my roomie enjoyed it and had seconds!


Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• thinly sliced apple
• cinnamon
• sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Put butter in pan, place in oven until butter is melted.  Swirl around to spread butter out.

While butter is melting, beat eggs really well with an electric mixer.  Add milk, flour, and salt.

Pour into pan.  Top with thin apple slices, cinnamon, and sugar.

Bake at 425 for 6 minutes, then 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Grams's repeated tip - WORK FAST!  Once everything is mixed together, get it in the pan and in the oven.

Also, it will start to fall as soon as you take it out of the oven, so be ready to put it on the table as soon as it comes out.

Instead of the cinnamon, sugar, and apples, you can also wait until it's cooked to top it with applesauce or apple pie filling (Baby Sister's favorite).



**UPDATE***
While I was back in South Dakota last week visiting family, Grams made me panakuchen for lunch one day.  Hers turned out absolutely perfect, and now I think I need to up my game and keep trying this until I get it just right!
It was all poofed up in the middle - not just on the edges like mine.  And the cinnamony-sugary goodness on top made a delightful crispy little shell. Yum. There's a reason why I still request Grams to make this every time I visit!