Alligator Steaks and Rail Fences

Remember rubber potatoes?  Somehow Kelsey and I forgot to include those in the Wagner Family Cookbook!  At cooking class this week, I learned to make gluten steaks - made just like rubber potatoes - but sliced thin and soaked in broth.  They are called Alligator Steaks - and of course are NOT really made of alligator.  The lady was a funny instructor - very energetic and had a cute apron with grapes.  I am on the lookout for a cute apron too - it completes the outfit!

I got to talk to her before class and she told me that she is an artist - no really - she is.  And "just like I paint with colors, I love painting with flavors." It's hard to beat that.  Being inspired, I made alligator steak on Saturday; they have to sit overnight, and I'll serve them to Shane tonight for dinner.  We'll see if he likes 'em!  He is such a good sport and has been humoring all my new recipes lately - what a great guy!

I had my first quilting class on Tuesday night.  The teacher, Debbie, is really nice, and very encouraging.  I learned so much just about cutting and ironing - I have so many bad habits!  It was worth the night just for those helpful tips.  We made 3 blocks in class - the rail fence, 9 square and the square dance.   She sent us home with homework to finish before our next class.  I got most of mine done on Sunday afternoon while there was a marathon run of Real Housewives of Orange County - boo yah!

Quilting homework was finishing 10 squares for class on Tuesday.

Here are the flowers Shane and Kennedy picked out last week.  The purple ones have wilted away so I took 'em out and was left with just a white bouquet which was so pretty.  Just the simple white flowers look so cheery on the table.

Shane worked all weekend with Ryan.  They have a new project at the yacht club finishing the inside of a boathouse.  They are putting up wallboard - not sheetrock - it's a honeycombed, really light type of sheetrock that doesn't weigh very much in the boathouse.  They are also putting in a spiral staircase.

This is the upstairs. It will have a fireplace right below their lofted bedroom.

This is part of the kitchen.

This is the view from the upstairs boathouse balcony.  Oh la la! 

Isabella has been striking alot of poses lately.  All her poses have one hand above her head...she cracks us up!

We are very proud of Kennedy.  Here is her certificate for finishing Fast Math.  It's a before-school program that kids can do to help them work on their math skills.  She was the first one in her school this year to finish the program! Yay, Kennedy!

Hope ya'll had a great weekend and I'll keep ya posted on the alligator steak outcome!