January Family Outing

The Joslyn Art Museum received a grant which has enabled them to allow patrons into the museum without charging an entrance fee. Prior to this, the only free entrance time were on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12:00. I decided this would be a bargain family outing, and I hadn't been to the museum for quite awhile. Unfortunately the day we went it was freezing outside. That should be expected in Nebraska in January but prior to this day, we had been having unseasonably warm weather.

We went on Monday, January 6. We should have known it would be freezing because we didn't have to go back to school that day due to the cold weather.

We went through the whole museum. I have seen the permanent collection several times. I always enjoy the temporary collection. Several artists in different mediums were on display. I think the children enjoyed that part of the museum the most. Although Dakota and I love the Renaissance works.

The Joslyn also has a fabulous gallery with Native American and Western United States works.

My favorites were two landscape paintings by Keith Jacobshagen. Having lived in the Midwest my entire life, I loved seeing the dominant sky with the amazingly detailed landscape beneath it. Both the sky and landscape appeared to go on forever. The details of the small landscape were amazing. I wanted to get really close to the paintings so I could see the detail, but the guards at the museum frown upon that.

This is one of the landscapes that is currently on display at the Joslyn. I would love to get prints to hang in my house. "Spreading Evening Sky with Crows" is an amazing work.

Dakota's favorite work was "Fallen Angels" by Francois B.-M.-E. Cibot. I also love this one. I bought a postcard with the image on it the first time I saw it at the museum.

Savana and Alexsei both liked the contemporary works the best. They both loved the upside down trees. I could not find an image to share.

Glen never game much feedback and Alaric was just happy when it was time to leave.

January Plated Dinner

This year, I am not focusing on necessarily all new recipes. I would like to just practice plating. I am also hoping I can get my children involved and have them take turns planning, shopping and cooking a meal for the whole family. I don't want them leaving my house only knowing how to make frozen pizza, Kraft macaroni and cheese and Ramen noodles. Somewhere along the way, they need to be able to cook something.

Thinking back, I started cooking at the age of 15. My mom's food was very bland so I started making spaghetti, chili, and some other foods just to add seasoning. I never did meat and potato meals. I learned that much later.

The January meal was a simple boneless pork chop with a red wine sauce, pureed peas, and garlic mashed potatoes. Pureed peas are a bit off-putting because they are such a bright green. However, they tasted delicious.

Review:

Glen loved the pork chop and the sauce and, of course, the garlic mashed potatoes. He ate the puree but didn't love it.

I loved everything. The pork chop was tender. The garlic mashed potatoes were amazing. I love lumpy mashed potatoes with skin still on the potatoes. There is actually texture to the dish. I loved the pureed peas. Peas, cream, garlic and parmesan cheese. All good.

Dakota passed on the peas. He ate the regular whipped potatoes. He loved the pork chop. He is a meat lover!

Alexsei ate the pork chop. She liked the sauce. The potatoes were her favorite and she did like the peas.

Savana is trying to go vegetarian. She passed on the pork chop. She loved the potatoes and the peas.

Alaric ate the pork chop without sauce. He likes pork so he actually liked the chop. He ate the whipped potatoes and passed on the peas. I don't think he eats anything green.