Julie's Blog

Even though the sun is shining, and the air is getting warmer there is still ice on Strawberry Reservoir. Here is a picture taken last week as the sun was setting.

Strawberry Reservoir is located thirty miles from Heber, Utah. It was built in 1922. and is currently has a surface area of 17,164 acres. It is a great area for many recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and snowmobiling.

I took pictures of the rocks at the airport. I think the one I like the best was the Septarian Nodule. They say it is found in southern Utah. 150 million years water covered parts of southern utah. Volcanic eruptions cause sea life and sediment to be trap in mud balls. The mud balls were then exposed to the sun when the water receded. This caused them to crack. Whenthe water returned dissolved sea life turned in calcite that settled into the cracks causing this type of formation. Rockhounds can find them in Kanab, Utah.

I love the contast in the stone.

The Picasso Marble can be found in this picture it is the small heart above, the black and brown bear shape on the back left, and the small bear shaped rock on the right.

The yellew rock in the middle is Honeycomb Calcite also found in Utah.

Made this weekend and it was great. Thought I would share this recipe. The rhubarb is coming up here and it is a great time to make it. I have the green and the red rhubarb. I use half and half so it isn't too tart. This is also a custard pie recipe so it is not as tart.

Rhubabrb Pie Beatrice Emmett

3 eggs beaten

2 c sugar

2 2/3 T milk

4 t flour

3/4 t nutmeg

4 c rhubarb ( 1 inch peices )

 butter (cut in pieces )

Beat eggs, and stir in sugar. Add flour, nutmeg, milk, and rhubabrb.  Make your favorite pie shell recipe for a two layer pie. Put mixture in 9 in pie pan. Dot with butter and put a lattace top over the mixture. My aunt uses a full top on hers. Bake 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees.

This is great warm with vanilla ice cream!

I used my dutch oven this weekend to make a peach cobbler. I used a large can of peaches, a stick of butter, and a cake mix. My dutch oven is 12 inches. It was supposed to be cooked for 40 minutes. I didn't have a way to cook with charcoal this weekend so I used the oven at 400 degrees. The cake was over done and the texture was not the way I have tasted it before, when others have made cobbler. Does anyone have any advice? I wanted to know if my oven was too big for a single recipe or the temperature was too high? I think I have also heard of using a can of 7 UP. Maybe I did not have enough liquid? I would love to hear any comments you have to improve the cobbler experience. I hope to try again this weekend.

Also does anyone know what can be used as a base to cook on? I heard that a tractor disc works. I may have to buy a fire pit.

 We had a luncheon Wednesday and  a speaker talked about meth. She told us about the affects on people and on homes. I didn't realize that one party  with about 20 people in a house could be enough to contaminate the house. A meth inspector told us that a moderately contaminated 3 bedroom house could cost $33,000 to repair. Some houses and their contents are not able to be saved after they have been exposed and the owners end up with nothing. The peole that contaminated the home may be require to pay the buyer back, but in most cases that doesn't happen due to the persons lack of money.

The probelm is increasing, and it is affecting the environment as well. Place they dump the waste include parks, water sources, campgrounds, and dumpsters. Leaving waste around can endanger curious childen. Contaminating the water supply is a risk to us all. Rural areas like ours are at risk because of the distance between houses and the difference in jurisdictions due to the reservation in our area. We also have an influx of new people in the area due to energy exploration and this means that people don't necessarily know their neighbor.

Here is a link to a site where you can order a dvd on the effects of meth.

I would really recommend a meth test to anyone buying or renting. Also landlords need to check their homes before renting to a new tenant. The meth inspector told us the standard test is about $120 and takes 3 to 4 days to send to the lab and get the test back.

I wrote this on a past blog

Recently another real estate agent and I were looking into buying a rental property. We had concerns about mold asbestos and the possibility of meth contamination. In looking into the costs we could incur I found some interesting information. Living in a home that has meth contamination can lead to the lungs turning into to gel and expelling the lungs over time due to the chemicals such as anhydrous ammonia. It would be worth the cost of a test to be sure the house is not contaminated because some items that may need to be replaced , include flooring duct work water heaters appliances, sinks, and toilets. Signs of meth include red stains strong cat urine or ammonia smell rock salt hydrogen peroxide anhydous ammonia blacked out or foiled windows ephedrine and lithium batteries. The house could cost $100000 or more to repair. The house may even have to be torn down and properly disposed of. All work needs to be done by a qualified professional. Some states are making it a law that the seller has to disclose knowledge of meth in the house. What experiences do you have? What legislation do we need to have?

Spring is finally here. I took the chance to enjoy nature and photograph the beautiful flowers here in Vernal. It was nice to get outside and relax. I did not worry about things that needed to be done and just enjoyed the beauty of nature.

Hope you are able to just relax and enjoy the view! Check out the Hawk Moth that is in two different picutres! They look like hummbirds, but they are moths.

On the technical end I learned more about my camera today and will use the micro lens next time to get closer to the flowers. I will also be watching for shadows, especially mine! 

I even caught a Hawk Moth enjoying the flowers. They look like hummingbirds with the way their wings move so quickly. They also have the long proboscus for getting nectar from the flowers. If you look closely at the left side of the first picture on my blog you will see the hawk moth in it too.

I have been checking into how to clean my dutch ovens. I bought new ovens and seasoned them while taking a class in college. Now my dutch ovens have been sitting there waiting for me to use them. I have been running back and forth from one state to another for two years and I do not even remember if I put newspaper in them so they would not go rancid. This is why I have been searching for ways to fix that so I can get them out and use them.

One suggestion I found that might save me from re-seasoning my dutch oven is to place the oven on the coals or another heat source, put in one cup of vinegar in the oven and fill oven with water. After it comes to a boil the extra possibly rancid oil should release from the oven. Boiling about a 1/2 hour. Pour out the water and reheat to dry the oven. After it is cool put a paper towel or newspaper between the lid and the oven. Place the paper so that it is partially inside the oven and partially outside of the oven.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to take care of an oven that may be rancid? Anyone have a great recipe I should try? 

 There is always something to do in Vernal Utah.

On May 3rd there will be a Health Beat Health fair and on May 22nd and 23rd there is a Uintah Basin Energy Symposium and Golf Tournament. For more information on these events and future events check the Chamber of Commerce site.

 There are several museums and monuments to visit. The temporary visitor center at the Dinosaur National Monument is open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. It is closed November through February. There is hiking, auto tours, wildlife, a chance to see replicas of dinosaur bones, and remnants of old cabins built by homesteaders. For a printable travel guide visit  www.nps.gov/dino/pphtml/print.html

Want to check out geology and photos visit  www.nps.gov/dino/dinos.htm

The Duchesne County Visitor and History center, is open May through September from Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm. Check out the historical photos and antiques.

The ladies of the White House Doll Collection is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 9 pm and Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. It is closed Sundays and Holidays. Dolls representing the First ladies are on display.

The Regional History center and The Outlaw trail History Center is open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 9 pm and Friday and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm. It is closed Sundays and Holidays. It contains historical photos, newspapers, and history items. 

The Uintah County Daughters of the Pioneers Museum is open June through August on Tuesdays to Saturday from 10 Am to 4 pm. September to May Friday and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. On display are photographs, artifacts, and history of the area. 

The Utah Field House of natural History State park Museum is open 8 am to 7 pm seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The rest of the year it is open 9 am to 5 pm daily. Check out the fossil wall and the replicas of dinosaurs!

The Western heritage Museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day Monday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm. Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. Winter hours are Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm. Saturday 10 am to 2 pm. Check out the western memorabilia, photos, Native American art, and quilts.

If you are interested in Hiking, boating, snowmobiling, skiing, four wheeling check out the Utah State Parks website.

There is something for everyone and never a dull moment! 

I love this recipe. My Gramma would have been 99 next week. She passed away four years ago at 95. She had some great recipes. I thought I would share a few.

Carrot cake Beatrice Emmett

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp allspice

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp soda

1 cup oil

4 eggs

3 cups grated carrots 

Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, carrots. Mix well. Grease and flour pan. Bake at 350 degrees fro 35 minutes or until done. ( I do not sift my ingredients and I used a spray oil on the pans.)

Icing

1/4 cup butter (or margerine)

4 oz package cream cheese

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

pinch salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 or 3 T canned milk ( I used milk)

Mix butter and cream cheese first, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.