Sunset at Clinton Lake

I finally managed ( after several failed attempts) to get some sunset photos. Nick drove me to the dam at Clinton Lake where I managed to get a few shots of the setting sun over the lake.

Then we drove round into the park and found these fellows completely unfazed by our presence!!!

The park was quite pretty too although it was getting dark and a little cold.

When we were driving there we were following this guy who had hay bales on a trailer but they were not tied on properly and the hay was coming off in great clumps and going all over the road !!! :-)

Thanksgiving 2012

This year  I was very thankful -

Firstly for the opportunity to spend some time with my 3 lovely boys in Kansas

secondly that my mum was a good cook and passed on her cooking skills :) (with only one minor mishap when I let the milk for the bread sauce boil over!!)

Before!!

And after!!

and thirdly that we are all working and can enjoy a good quality of life in warm homes and with plenty to eat.  Millions of people in the world are not that lucky :(

The finished dinner ! :)

Very yummy it was too - nom, nom, nom !

Annual trip to US

Well it's that time of year again! I am visiting Kansas!

This is where James and Will are renting at the moment - nice quiet neighbourhood but walking distance to Walmart ( not that anyone does walk it!!)

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Dinner at the American Restaurant - Wednesday 21/11/12

Scallop w/pork belly and fried rice

Rib eye steak w/ pumpkin, apple and onion

crispy duck

My name was on the top of the menu!!

On Wednesday Will and Taryn took us all to the American Restaurant in Kansas City. Taryn works there on Fridays and Saturdays so we got some special treatment and everyone knew her - we even got to look in the kitchen. Sadly the Executive chef, Debbie Gold, is on holiday in Israel so we did not get to meet her but we did meet the sous chef and the general manager. The food was amazing and the view pretty awesome too - they even turned on the Xmas lights for a while to check them ready for Friday's big 'switch on'!!

We ordered 5 courses but then we were sent some 'extras' courtesy of the chefs - known as 'Amuse-bouches' or tasters. There was a salmon rillettes, tilefish, a lovely sweet cider with cranberry crumble and petite fours. So, all in all we had 9 courses !!!! (and it's Thanksgiving tomorrow !!)

My menu choices were - Stone crab w/avacado, sesame, lime and wasabi
                           Torchon of Hudson Valley foie Gras
                           Scallop w/ pork belly, fried rice and cucumber
                           Crispy duck w/ plum, beet, cocoa beans and candy cap mushroon sauce
and of course  Snickerdoodle cake - which came with a topping of  'bubbles' !!!!! :)

The wine list is an iPad put on the table - Oh! my!

View from the restaurant window

Happy diners!!

I would have smiled if I'd known when he was taking the photo!!!

The interior was pretty cool too :)

and this gorgeous floral display was by the entrance - stunning :)