Dance Through the Decades

Last night our ward put on a great activity: A Dance Through The Decades where everyone had to come sporting gear from the past. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play dress-up!
There is a great store here called Primark that sells "fashion" clothing at cheap prices. The thing is, it seems like 40% of the clothing is either straight from the 80s or covered in sequins.

(Verland's gold-sequined beret on the bottom left....from Primark!)

As a rule, I avoid clothing in neon. But, as another rule, no eighties outfit is complete without neon. So I went for it. I found orange keds, a bright blue shirt, and a nice purple pair of shades. After some negotiation, Rob agreed to rock some nice baby blue aviators with his collar popped and to sport some white keds.
At the dance we realized our outfits couldn't really compete with some others (look at James and Heather below), but we did learn a British version of the hokey-pokey (very fun), and some other new dances.
By the end of the night I was pretty attached to my side-pony and the shades. Unfortunately, when I told Rob how much I liked our new look, he said he didn't want to be anywhere near my purple sunglasses in public. I guess that means my 80s revival tour is going to have to go solo.

My Secret Love

I have a confession to make and I'm ready to go public. (Although, I'm pretty sure Rob has already guessed.)

I'm in love with...my immersion blender.

Isn't it cute?

You can't really blame me, though. Winter is just so much better when it includes this, or this, or this, or, most importantly, this.

Lately, when almost every dinner has been of the liquid variety, I've started to think I might actually have a serious problem. But last night we made this, and then Rob assured me that my secret love is no problem at all.
Potato and Leek Soup with Spinach, Sausage and Parmesan
(adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium/large potatoes, any type, cut up into small cubes
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced into thin rings
• Salt and pepper
• 1 quart vegetable stock or water, preferably warmed
• A couple handfuls of baby spinach (optional)
  
• A couple links of sausage, casings removed (optional)
• A handful of fresh parsley, roughly torn (optional)
  
• A light grating of Parmesan (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Put butter or oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add the leeks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the leeks are nice and tender, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
3. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach leaves.
4. Blend soup until thick and chunky.
5. In a separate frying pan, crumble a few (about 4) links of sausage and cook until browned. Drain and stir into the soup.
6. Serve soup and garnish with parmesan and parsley.
7. Thank your lucky stars you have an immersion blender

Hair Updates

Update #1: First of all, some of you may be dying to know how Rob's beard is coming along.
Answer: It's 3 1/2 weeks old, somewhat red and viking-esque, and getting thicker by the day! His resolution not to shave has been bolstered by a public declaration that his beard is dedicated to getting into the spirit of the Old Testament. (Rob and I are Sunday School teachers at church, and this year we're teaching the Old Testament.)

Hair update #2: Rob's last haircut was in November, so his normal head of hair was getting pretty overgrown. Unfortunately, his thick blond locks were too much for the clippers we borrowed to handle. So, what did I do?
Answer: I bravely turned to good, old-fashioned scissors! I am proud to say that even though it took me about 3 times as long to accomplish, Rob is now sporting a perfectly acceptable haircut done completely with scissors. Ta-dummmm!

Last, but not least: Granada

We are officially home from our trip now, but before everything gets back to normal I have to put up our Granada pictures!

On the afternoon we arrived in Granada, the lady running our hostel suggested we go walk around the Albaicin, a medieval Moorish neighborhood that has remained almost unchanged for centuries.

Except for the addition of mopeds of course

So we hiked up through the neighborhood on winding, cobbled streets until we came to little square in front of a church with this view:

Click to on it to see it better

That's the Alahambra, a palace/fortress constructed in the 14th century by the Moorish rulers of Granada.
After the Moors were conquered, it was turned into a Christian palace, and then fell into disrepair for hundreds of years. Eventually, it came to the attention of the Western world and began drawing tourists to Granada. Now it's been restored and is pretty awesome. We were amazed at the intricate detail that covered so much of the palace.
Now we just have to find someone who can replicate this type of work for when we build our future house....do you think the neighbors would mind a Moorish palace going up next door?

Seville: Our first exposure to the serious business of Flamenco

We arrived in Seville on Friday evening and the guy at our hostel told us about a free flamenco show going on later that night. And by "later," I mean wayy past our normal bed time; everything starts late in Spain!
We definitely couldn't say no to free flamenco, so we found the bar, and waited for the performance to start. We had fun spending time with the locals while trying to inhale as little second-hand smoke as possible.
Then the three performers came out: a guitar player, a singer/clapper, and a dancer. Initially I thought the dancer was actually the band's body guard due to her intimidating presence, her dramatic scowl, and her sideburns. But once she got going, she loosened up. Slightly.
It was fun to be part of the late-night crowd for once, and luckily we were outside all the next day so our clothes got to air out. :)

Seville is a beautiful old city on the river Guadalquiver with a neat mix of Moorish and European influences. It was occupied by the Moors for hundreds of years and when it was finally reconquered, the two cultures remained very intertwined.
Their huge cathedral (where Christopher Columbus is buried!!) is built using parts of the old mosque that was on the same site, and the royal palace in Seville was built by a Catholic king imitating the style of his Moorish predecessors.
And we just like this picture of Seville's bull-fighting arena because...don't you think it kind of looks like a bull? Finally, I just wanted to put this in for all of our Ticket to Ride playing friends. We didn't make it to Cadiz, but we took a picture with this mural in honor of the 20+ points for Cadiz to Stockholm.

The Ahhhh-lgarve: Taking some time out to breathe

The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal made up of little towns, white beaches, and great seafood. In the summer season, the population of the region more than doubles as tourists arrive from all over Europe.
In January the towns are pretty quiet, because 55 degrees is just barely too cold for sunbathing (even for the brave Scandinavians).
55 degrees is, though, the perfect temperature for a hike along the rocky coastline, or a long walk on the beach...or, if you're Rob, a very quick dip in the Atlantic.
It was great to spend a few days away from the hustle and bustle of the Lisbon and to enjoy a different kind of Portugal's beauty.

Next Stop: Spain!

Portugal's Elder Ellis 2.0

Spencer, Rob's youngest brother, is currently serving as a missionary in the Lisbon Portugal Mission. Of course, the opportunity to visit Rob's old mission AND his little brother was too good to miss!
On Sunday, we figured out where Spencer would be attending church, took 2 different buses, and walked through the rain to surprise him at church. The look on his face when he saw Rob was totally priceless; both of the boys were getting a little teary-eyed...very cute.

Later in the evening, Rob met up with Spencer and his companion, Elder McFarren, to teach a few investigators. Spencer is a great missionary and Rob loved getting to relive the glory days.
Monday is Spencer's Preparation Day so we treated him and Elder McFarren to kebabs for lunch, then took the train out to Sintra. Sintra is a beautiful town up in the mountains with cool parks, palaces, and little shops.

The boys enjoying Magnum's "Temptation" ice cream bar

A well-named ice cream for missionaries? Maybe not. Delicious? Definitely.

Later that night Rob and I were included in a dinner invitation at the Bishop's house. He and his wife were incredibly kind. They made a huge dinner and sent us home with leftovers because they felt bad we hadn't had a home-cooked meal in awhile. As good as bread and cheese sandwiches are, I was happy for the change of fare. :)
We were so glad we got see Spencer and are so proud of his hard work!

Lisbon: Beautiful, Yummy, and Warm(er)....Perfect

Rob lived in Portugal for 2 years while serving as a missionary for the LDS Church in 2001 and he was excited to share the country with me this time around.
We did a lot of walking around Lisbon's different neighborhoods. The sidewalks all over the city are paved with little stones making intricate patterns and designs, and the narrow streets are lined with colorful, tiled buildings.
Lisbon lies along the Tejo River, where explorers--including Vasco de Gama fresh from India--docked their ships loaded with treasure and foreign goods. In Belem (one of Lisbon's neighborhoods) there are a few monuments remembering Portugal's golden years during the Age of Discovery.

This one is an old fortification that is half tower, half ship and was the ceremonial entrance to Lisbon

Belem is also home to the best pastry shop in Portugal. Rob and I went there multiple times to load up on Pasteis de Nata and Bolos de Berlim. That was probably the highlight of my trip! :)
We also had to make a trip to KFC for a Tower Burger--a burger unique to European KFCs that Rob ate almost weekly for a 3 month stretch of his mission. It was fun to be there with him for that walk down memory lane.

FYI: Important Weather Update
Cambridge, UK--30 F
Lisbon, Portugal--57 F

I'd say we made a good choice when we booked our flight to Lisbon!

For the family

If anyone (especially Mama KK) wants to see a few more pictures of Christmas, here you go!

Over Too Soon

Well, after 10 fun-filled days, Aupreille, Mark, and Teairsa have left us for Iowa's beautiful winter weather.

We tried to convince them to stay with blue skies,

lots of history,

stimulating conversation,

and Fitzbillie's famous Chelsea Buns,

but Teairsa figured that if she had to be this bundled up, they might as well go back home. That way at least they'd make it home before we all ran out of money and gained 20 lbs snacking during our game-playing marathons.

We didn't want to let them go.

This may look like an innocent hug, but Rob's really trying to send the message: STAY WITH US!

Our last ditch effort didn't work, so we've fallen back on plan B: Rob will grow out his beard again hoping that his rugged, mountain-man good looks will be enough to lure other friends and family out to see us. It's quite a draw. :)

Thanks for coming, guys! We had so much fun!