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Mother's Day

Mother’s Day Haul

May 12, 2015

I was stunned speechless by the card taped to my computer this morning:
charliecard1

And not because it’s a scary picture. Yes, I know that it is, but that’s not my point. It’s because it was a card from Charlie that I must have guilted him into creating last night by reminding him that he did nothing for me on Mother’s Day — I didn’t even get the back rub that he didn’t promise to give me but suggested that he *might*.

But here’s where it get’s interesting:

charliecard2

THIS IS FRICKEN’ GENUIS!

Front: Facebook profile since 2009 (actually it was since 2007). The face of JENMENKE.COM

Inside: Self-described Mac Geek Farm Girl, or should we say, Pioneer Woman No. 2, Jennifer Menke runs the ever popular tech/family/travel blog jenmenke.com Sporadically posting updates on events in her life, an example being the rare “Road Warrior” series chronicling their camping adventures, starting with the first post on August 13th 2012 and ending abruptly with the claim of losing the “Road Warrior Journal.” Likely story Jennifer Menke. But even with these drawbacks, Jen Menke seems to be an incredible character, dealing with her family: from the daughter refusing to come home, to her son writing day-late mother’s day cards. With this in mind, we can present Jen Menke with the award of…

This is writing that grabs me by my heartstrings! SARCASM! THIRD PERSON BRILLIANCE! (yes, plenty of spelling errors too, but give him a break, man. There are actually way less than normal.)

It made me want to write a blog post.

So here I am, five hours later, after deciding that I also had to update my theme to a responsive one, updating and changing all my widgets and ads, learned all the new rules about google search, feedburner and RSS feeds (should I go on?), all conducted with full knowledge that I  have a marketing meeting in less than four hours and I’ve not written the copy I told the committee I would bring to the meeting.

So, no, nothing has changed in my life since I last regularly posted.

I have been tickling around the idea of a blog post for over a week now, when, while taking prom pictures, this girl:

thatgirlShouted out to me: “I love your blog!”

I laughed self deprecatingly. But really. Is it fair of me to let my fans down like I have? Honestly. Those marketing people can just WAIT.

Anyway, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether I really will write more after today. I just really could not believe that card Charlie gave me. It’s like he’s been lying to me all these years. How could he be both funny AND able to write a good card and I did not know this?

Anyway. Morgan gave me a great card too. What I’m most proud of in hers is that she has perfected that enviable style of penmanship that is both readable and not readable at the same time.

morgancard

See what I mean? It’s like the fake handwriting I did when I was 5, only I can read it perfectly. She’s perfectly brilliant. (Even if she is a “dirty hippy” “flaming liberal”) –Her words, not mine.

So, now I really must go. I just got this lovely text string in a fit of dirty-hippy-flaming-liberal-hysteria:

Screenshot 2015-05-12 14.37.02

Proofing papers takes precedence over blog writing and marketing meetings. I just wish someone would proof my blog posts for redundancy and fluff.

Gotta go, signed:

charliecard3

 

Filed Under: Babble Tagged With: Mother's Day, humor, supermom

Irresistible German Pancake. It’s Oven Magic!

May 9, 2009

German Pancake

Here is yet another reason to have chickens for the freshest eggs. I have never written about my ill-fated chickens, but someday I will. Suffice it to say, if youThe Freshest Eggs! have the inkling to keep a couple hens in your backyard, or have more roaming your acreage. DO IT! Messy though they can be, it is worth it. The only time messiness was a factor for me was when I had a flock that was so tame they used to come up to the front door in the morning and peck at the window for food, at the same time, pooping all over the front steps. A truce with my chicken-hating husband has brought an end to that, made easier on my part by the fact that our now 3 year old GSP kills them if I let them run where they please.

But this post isn’t about chickens! It’s about the German Pancake! For those of you who don’t know me, can you even imagine how much I can talk and digress?

This pancake is so easy and so impressive you just have to make it for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Barring the opportunity for breakfast in bed, just do it to impress someone. Fresh eggs are best and strawberries make it perfect. The recipe is from a book I have had since I was married in 1990. Susan Branch’s Heart of the Home, Notes from a Vineyard Kitchen cookbook. It really has some amazing and simple recipes. An oldie but a goodie!

The recipe is attached as a link by clicking on the irresistible image below. Go on, I know you want to!

Click if you want the recipe!
Click if you want the recipe!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Mother's Day, Breakfast in bed, German Pancake, Fresh Eggs, cooking

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About Me

Jen menke

I’m a mostly-retired, pretend graphics and web developer (but don’t judge my skillz by THIS site!). We sold our dream home in Watertown, MN and downsized to a “Villa” in Excelsior, MN and built a home in our dream location of Eagle, CO and now split our time between the two states. It is truly a dichotomous life of absentee gardening and getting together with friends & family while in MN and playing hard and hermitting while in CO. I’ve let the blog go but a trip to Alaska has me resurrecting the Road Warriors series. My beloved brother is my biggest fan and I am doing this just for him.

Latest Reads:

Jennie's bookshelf: read

Trail of Broken Wings
2 of 5 stars
Trail of Broken Wings
by Sejal Badani
Started out strong and dwindled off for me. I wasn't enamored of the writing and -- maybe it's just me -- but the secrets!? I understand that you have to be willing to swallow a fair amount of incredulity when enjoying a lot of fiction, ...
The Girl on the Train
3 of 5 stars
The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins
Audible book. Good, mindless listen. Pretty good action and twists. Not as good as all the hype, in my opinion, but I did enjoy. --Not enough to choose for my bookclub though: it would have been carved up by those English-teaching wolves...
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away
4 of 5 stars
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away
by Bill Bryson
Not my favorite Bryson book. However, it's been several years since I last read one and I was -- once again -- astounded by his writing style and voice. I just love him. I think this book is mostly compiled from columns he wrote over a c...

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