Jon's Summer Session - Days 5, 6, & 7

8th  - Good Morning Ya'll.  Today we are baking and cooking.  That means staying home which makes me happy too.  First, however, I have to get him off the computer.  Argh.



We are going to start with cinnamon rolls and you can find the link to the recipe in THIS POST.

I ALWAYS love baking days with grands.  The kitchen and studio are my happy places so sharing these with them is the best.

Once the dough is rising, we move onto making some guacamole for a snack.  I never used to like guacamole at all and then I discovered why.  Many places put cilantro in it and that stuff just plain old tastes like soap to me.  Additionally, I like lime and most do not have enough in it.  For those reasons, I have created my own "recipe" and stuck with it.

All I use is the mashed avocado, chopped onion and tomato. fresh lime juice, garlic, and some salt and pepper.  Oh yeah.  I can eat all of this up without any help and not complain one little bit.

After our snack, we move onto getting dinner ready.  Jon wants to make Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers - one of the recipes in my Pampered Chef Cooking for Two book.  I love them too and since we already shopped for them, let's get it done.

First he removes the tough outer layer from 6 lemongrass stalks and makes a sharp diagonal cut 8 inches from the top of each stalk.  Setting the bottoms aside, he peels 1 mango and slices off the flesh.  After cutting twelve 3/4" thick-chunks from flesh.
, he dices the remaining mango and sets it aside.  Next he alternately threads 24  (21-15 per pound) shrimp and  the mango chunks onto the lemongrass stalk tops.

Next he finely chops the bottom halves of the lemongrass stalks and combines them with 1/3 cup sweet and sour sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 pressed garlic clove and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in a pan and brings them to a boil.  After removing the glaze from the head and reserving 2 tablespoons, he heats the grill pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.  After lightly spraying the pan with vegetable oil, he places the skewers in the pan and brushes some of the glaze over them.  He cooks the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, turning the skewers and brushing with glaze for an additional 2-3 minutes and then removes from the heat.

Then he takes 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice and combines it with the diced mango.  He then spoons the rice onto serving plates and tops it with the skewers.

After brushing the skewers with the reserved glaze we are ready to eat.

Doesn't it look divine?

After dinner the rolls are ready to work with again and need to be punched down and rolled up.  Then they get to rise a second time until we have this pan of deliciousness.

Finally, baking and icing.  Oh yum.  Jon has done such a good job.  Will they make it til breakfast?  Only because it is now late and we are ready for bed.  Yumminess awaits us in the morning.

9th -  Oooooh, where are those cinnamon rolls?  Breakfast is served.

After a relaxing morning, we are ready for some fun and Jon wants to go roller skating again.  I love watching him skate as he is just so comfortable there, unlike many others in the arena.

He also likes to take breaks which means we get to talk and visit.  I especially like that part of it.

The rest of our day and evening are pretty uneventful.

10th - It's Friday and Grandpa is working from home so we are going to get out of here and give him some peace and quiet.  It's a repeat of last Monday only without the public transportation.  Yes, we are finally going to get back to the Dallas Museum of Art.  Jon has a favorite room in the museum and we go straight there.  He really just likes to spend time creating whatever he can out of the materials they provide.  Hours and hours of time if I let him.  I love seeing what he can come up with and he never disappoints.  Two items are left on the shelves for others to see.  Of course, if you read the labels, truth in advertising has missed it's mark.

After the DMA, we make a stop in Uptown for some gelato.  He has never had it and I score.  So very good.

Grandpa lets me know that he has found a sewing machine to pick up so we head home and make a quick trip up to get it.  On the way home, we stop at the the radio control car place for a little fun.


It is the Indy R.C. World and they are having some races.

It's a fun track and the races are pretty amazing.  I can't believe how fast they get going and how much air they get under them on the jumps.  Yes, they crash now and then, but overall, it's pretty smooth running.

The track is so much bigger than you would think too.

Now to head home for dinner.  It is Salmon and Spinach in Phyllo and you can find the recipe in THIS POST.  Jon does a great job once again and oh my goodness, they taste divine.  Thank you for a great dinner Jon.

After dinner Grandpa suggests going to the auction which leads to interesting conversations I walk away with a new sewing bench.  It can be found

Well that's it.  We are switching out grandsons tomorrow so our time with Jon has come to an end.  It's been so much fun and perhaps we can get together another time at the end of summer.  Love it when he is here for awhile.