Welcome to the World!

Welcome to the World, Calleigh!

Great-Grandpa, Hubert holds the newest addition to his family. Love at first sight.

“Do You Believe In Magic?”

If we were skeptic before, we certainly all believe in magic after today’s events! This afternoon Magician Jeffrey Salveson paid us a visit and showed us a thing or two about magic.

There were many highlights of the performance, but one of the favorites was the fact that Magician Jeffrey Salveson actually had a rabbit, Sherman, which we all had a chance to pet! But once the show began we were all mesmerized by a number of different things – even the fact that Sherman could read minds!

The show was complete with rope and card tricks, and Magician Jeffrey Salveson even made water disappear! It’s a good thing or else he would have poured it all over Hubert’s head!

Bonnie was especially puzzled by the magic ring tricks. Take a look at the picture above at Bonnie as she tries to figure out how that ring could intersect with another.

After the show, Magician Jeffrey Salveson decided to make us a few fun things out of balloons. Take a look to the right at a very happy Flo and her balloon humming bird!

Here Fishy Fishy...

Michele Scheuring brought in some friends to live at Serenity. Be sure to visit Betty Prins and Hubert Asplin to say Hello to our new little friends!

Happy Birthday, Hubert!

Happy Birthday, Hubert!

He celebrated with dozens of delicious cupcakes and surrounded by Family and Friends.

His best part of the night, going to the Pink Fish (Red Lobster) with his family to get shrimp for his birthday.

Hubert is pictured here with Charles Borgen!

A Summer Bonfire!

For the past few days the weather has been somewhat cold and wet; so today when we finally had a warm summer day we decided it was time to head outdoors to enjoy some fresh air. Tim was prepared and lit a nice bonfire for all of us to crowd around as we sipped on wine and beer. Jake even decided to grill up our dinner outside so he could enjoy the weather, too! By the end of the evening we all had a great time simply chatting with friends and enjoying the summer day.

Above is a shot of the bonfire with everyone gathered around it; and below is a picture of Hubert and Charles enjoying their cold ones.

Unlucky Seven

This afternoon Sandy decided that it was high time for all her new friends here at Serenity to learn how to play her favorite card game called Unlucky Seven. It was a great way to introduce our newest staff member, Tyler; and we all had a great time laughing and chatting about the warm weather.

If you would like to play Unlucky Seven it’s actually pretty easy! Here are a few of the rules of the game:

You can play with two or more players. If you would like to play with more than four, simply add another deck to the mix!

Take a deck and match the cards according to their suits. Once the cards are in four piles (one of each diamonds, spades, hearts and clubs) remove the kings, aces and sevens.

Each player then receives one suit and places the ten remaining cards face up in front of him or her.

Once it is decided who will roll first, two dice are rolled three times by each person. When the player rolls a number on the die, he or she flips the corresponding card with that number over to show the back of the card. The first person to flip all his or her cards wins!

But it’s not that simple. The unlucky seven part of this game comes when the player rolls a seven on the die. After rolling an unlucky seven the player must flip a card that has previously been flipped. This may sound confusing but it’s really not too difficult. For example, if a player rolled a six earlier in the game and flipped the six card to reveal the back and thereafter rolled a seven, the player must flip that card over again. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the card flipped directly before rolling a seven, however; you are allowed to choose which card you must play again!

Also, if you roll a number that you have already have flipped, you must skip your turn and if your neighbor doesn’t have that number flipped, he or she then takes that number and flips the corresponding card. For example, if a player rolls a six and flips that card and on her second try she rolls another six, she must look at the other players’ hands to see if any of her friends have a six. The one that does (in clockwise order) then flips his or her corresponding six card and starts playing from there. If no one else has a six she continues with her next roll.

It may sound a little difficult upon reading these directions, but it’s really simple once you try playing it! And we had a ton of fun this afternoon when we all sat down to play. Just take a look at our faces! Pictured above is our newest staff member, Tyler, who just won his first game. To the right is a group shot of everyone who played Unlucky Seven this afternoon (in clockwise order) Tyler, Florence, Henrietta, Sandy, Leona and Hubert.

Watermelon Party

Summer is the perfect season for fresh fruits and vegetables; and to celebrate the season today we held our Watermelon Party! At lunch today we walked into a decorated dining room complete with watermelon balloons and goofy summer sunglasses. We all took pictures with our silly glasses and then got to the serious business of eating lunch. We were served appetizers, dishes and dessert all made with watermelon. It was a lot of fun to see all the different types of food that can be made with watermelon as an ingredient; and it tasted great!

If you would like to try cooking with watermelon, here are a few of the recipes we tried today:


Watermelon Ice Drink

Yield: 2 tall glasses

Ingredients
2 ½ cups watermelon
½ cup crushed ice
1 rose geranium leaf (optional)

Directions
Seed and coarsely chop the watermelon in a bowl. Save all juices.
Drop watermelon and ice into a blender.
Blend until both ingredients are crushed together.
Garnish with rose geranium leaves if desired.


Grilled Watermelon Slices with Honey-Lime Sauce

Grilling watermelon imparts a slightly smoky flavor that contrasts surprisingly well with the melon's inherent sweetness. Though it's delicious grilled plain, it's irresistible when drizzled with this sugary, tangy honey-lime sauce

Yields a scant 1/2 cup (enough sauce for 1 small- to medium-sized watermelon, but make more or less depending on how much you need. Leftover sauce can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Ingredients
1 small-medium sized watermelon (8-10 pounds)
Honey for brushing watermelon slices

For Sauce:
Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
Zest of 1/2 lime (about 1/2 teaspoon)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
To make the sauce, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Prepare a hot grill.
Halve a watermelon, then quarter it and cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with a thin coat of honey and place on the hot grill. Grill until just browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
Place watermelon slices on a plate, and drizzle with the honey-lime sauce. Serve immediately.


Steak Tacos with Watermelon-Mango-Jicama Salsa

Yield: 4 servings

Rich, savory steak tacos are topped with a refreshingly light watermelon-mango-jicama salsa. The salsa provides just the right balance of sweetness, spiciness and sourness. It is also delicious on top of grilled chicken, white fish, shrimp or scallops.
Ingredients
For Steak:
4 (4-6 ounces) top sirloin steaks (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
Salt and pepper
8 white corn tortillas
1/2 cup cotija anejo cheese**

** Cotija anejo, a mild-flavored Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture, can be found in Mexican markets or in the refrigerator section of most major supermarkets. Queso fresco, another mild Mexican cheese, is a good substitute and also can be found in most major supermarkets.

For Salsa:
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup diced mango
3/4 cup diced cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
3/4 cup diced jicama, peeled
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 serrano chili, with half the seeds (or to taste)
1 small avocado, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons each finely chopped fresh mint and cilantro
Salt, to taste

Directions
Prepare a hot grill.
Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper, and set aside at room temperature while making the salsa.
In a medium bowl, add all salsa ingredients, and gently stir until well combined.
Place steaks on the grill, close cover and cook until charred, about 5 minutes. (Closing the cover will help create a charred exterior and a softer, juicer interior.) Turn steaks over, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes for a medium-rare steak or 5 to 6 minutes for a medium steak. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Heat tortillas on top rack of grill for about 1 minute per side, or until warmed through and slightly charred.
Divide the sliced steak among the 8 tortillas. Top each with a spoonful of salsa and a sprinkle of cheese. Serve immediately.


Watermelon Ice

1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon red food color
8 cups seedless watermelon chunks
(about a 6 pound watermelon)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and honey to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Stir in the lemon juice and food color. Place half of the watermelon chunks and half of the cooled syrup in a blender jar and puree until smooth. Pour into a 9 x13-inch baking dish and repeat the process with the remaining watermelon and syrup, adding all the pureed mixture to the baking dish. Cover and freeze for 3 to 4 hours, or until frozen 1 inch around the edges.

Stir well to mix up the ice crystals. At this point, stir in the chocolate chips, if desired. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 more hours, or until completely frozen.

Using an ice cream scoop, scrape the ice into mounds and serve.


Take a look above at Simone who is having a blast modeling her goofy sunglasses; and to the left is John who doesn’t quite seem to know how to wear such big glasses! To the right is a picture of Hubert who had a great time.

(Recipes adapted from: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92325350 and http://www.recipegoldmine.com/dessicegel/watermelon-ice.html)

A Game of Whist, Anyone?

Finding a few good friends, getting together and simply playing an exciting card game can be a lot of fun. And this is precisely what we did this morning! Hubert Asplin, Bonnie Bratholt, Leona Jereszek and Arlene Tangen all gathered around a card table at about 10:00am this morning to play a few games of Whist. Aside from the amusement of the game, it was also nice to get out, chat with old friends and make new ones. And they sure had a lot of fun!

If you’ve never played Whist and would like to learn, here are some of the basic rules:

First of all, Whist requires four players which then make two teams of pairs. The dealer deals a standard deck of 52 cards, starting with the player to the dealer’s immediate left. The last card dealt that belongs to the dealer is flipped over and displays the suit that is trumps for that round. This card remains face up until it is the dealer’s turn to play the first trick. Now the game begins! The player to the dealer’s immediate left starts the first trick and any card may be led. The other players then lay tricks in clockwise order. The cards played should be of the same suit and the highest trump wins the trick (with Aces being high). If a player doesn’t have any of the same suit, any card may be laid. Once all 13 cards of the suit have been laid, the team that won more tricks wins one point for every trick it won in excess of six; the winner of that round deals the following round. The partnership that reaches five points first wins the game. It’s that simple!

Take a peek above at the group shot of the whole gang; Arlene (dealer), Hubert, Bonnie and Leona (in clockwise order)!

A Day For The Dogs

Josh Billings once suggested, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” With this in mind, today we decided it was about time to show a little appreciation to the canines in our lives. We spent a portion of the afternoon making gourmet dog treats for our beloved dogs. It was fun for all of us to get our hands dirty by mixing the dough, rolling it out and cutting fun shapes out of it (such as dog bones)! We finally baked these treats and packed them up to give to our favorite dogs.

Aside from the fun gourmet dog treats, Hubert even made puppy cakes. These are cupcakes made especially for dogs! Hubert mixed apples, cheese, milk and many more healthy ingredients into this fun treat. And since Bentley is Hubert’s favorite dog we can all bet that Bentley will be spoiled in the next few weeks!

To get a glimpse of all the fun we had just take a look at these photos. Pictured above are Gen, Lois, Jodi and Mary who are getting ready to roll out the dough. To the right is Hubert who is creating the ideal puppy cake!

A Lip Smackin' Lunch!

Barbequing is one of the most anticipated aspects of summer for many Americans. It presents a time to enjoy friends, family, summer weather and (of course) delicious food!



Because Fargo knows that many of us here in the Red River Valley love barbequed ribs, it is hosting its annual Rib Fest this week. And after we heard about the “Lip Smackin’ Lunch Special” we just couldn’t resist. We loaded up two vehicles with anyone who didn’t mind getting their fingers dirty with a little barbeque sauce and headed to the Fargo Dome where Rib Fest was being hosted.

Upon our arrival we discovered that we were not the only ones looking for some good food (the place was busy!), but we soon collected our fair share of ribs. The delicious food was well complemented with two scrumptious side dishes and cold drinks. It was a tasty treat for everyone! Just take a look above at the picture of Hubert enjoying a juicy rib! To the right is a picture of Simone enjoying the warm day; and below is a group shot of the whole gang (with full bellies)!

Breakfast on the Farm

It was a big weekend in Hawley to kick off the city’s 50th Annual Rodeo Fest; and we couldn’t just let everyone else have all the fun. On Saturday morning we rounded up a few of us to go to “Breakfast on the Farm” which took place at the Hutterite Colony five miles west of Hawley. Hubert, Esther and Henrietta decided it was time to saddle up and enjoy the morning with hundreds of others who came to celebrate the occasion. Not only did we eat pancakes, sausage and eggs but we enjoyed all the various events that were happening all over the farm. There were horse and tractor rides for everyone, train rides for the children and many various booths set up to celebrate the occasion. Hubert especially enjoyed watching the kids ride around in carts behind the tractors! And once it was time to drive back home we all had the chance to talk about growing up on the farm as all three of those who came with on the trip had grown up on farms. It was an exciting way to start the weekend and an enjoyment for us all.

To get a better idea of our fun trip just take a look at this picture of Henrietta and Hubert as they enjoy their coffee at the “Breakfast on the Farm!”

Taters

Hubert 'Sonny' Asplin took charge in the kitchen this afternoon. Her insisted that he had more experience in peeling potatoes than everyone in the building combined. He wasn't lieing. Hubert was peeling potatoes faster than anyone had ever seen!