Samuel Warren Nelson II-In Memorium

Pop-pop was a character! Anyone who knew him expected the unexpected. From off color jokes to stern reprimands he was a giant unto himself.

In his latter years he was man enough to wear short, hot pink shorts, with a grey striped button up shirt. His hair was still the same haircut, a short crop, he had kept since the Korean War where he was stationed here in Alaska. He had a story or a lesson for every moment, most of them heard, but still appreciated, before by those who surrounded him on a daily basis. His son's, daughter(my mom), and his grandkids have taken many of those lessons and stories to heart.

Just the other day My 5 year old daughter Mckenzie asked where we were going to, which my eight year old daughter(her birthday is next week-so I can say she is eight) said "Crazy if we don't mend our ways." Meggan and I had a hearty chuckle knowing that Pop-pop was probably smiling in heaven knowing he passed that one on.

I have never looked at dessert the same again since he taught me the secret to having more than one serving. I came to him one Thanksgiving and asked if I could have some more Pumpkin pie. He told me no and then went on to explain the true secret to success. "Donnie" he said "never ask for more because then people will know that you have already had some. Next time ask if you can have some then they won't know if you have had any and will most likely give you that second serving you desire." I have used it since and have been better fed for it!

Pop-pop, thanks for teaching, laughing, and being the first of our family to come to Alaska. You have instilled in my father and I a love for a land more beautiful than most, and a desire to share it with others. Your picture is hung on the wall but we always carry you in our heart. Thanks for serving our great country, it has made a difference, you have made a difference. Love and Miss you!

From Left Donnie Hayes; Sam Nelson; Donn Hayes
Pop-pop's Last trip to Alaska

Time heals all wounds-"Eating with Meggan"

"Time heals all wounds" is another of those sayings that we use all the time (it has been said that Chaucer was one of the first to say it..http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080121210410AAkehtW) but it can also be said that "Food heals all wounds." I am pretty sure that Donn Hayes said that.

So in that mode I announce the once monthly "Eating with Meggan" segment of the blog. She has been testing out Fish recipes and is going to share with you her thoughts on the recipe, ideas on how to make it better, or if there is no hope. If you would like to share with us your fish recipes we would love to try them out and if you are lucky we will spotlight our "Fish Chef of the Month."

For those who know me, you can ask what I had instead and I will put my two cents in.  We all know that I don't eat fish (bring on the comments on that).

So, here it is folks fish recipe #1:

Heavenly Halibut
(originally found on allrecipes.com the italicized words are the parts of the recipe I modified to make it healthier or to use what we had on hand)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil (originally called for 1/4 cup of butter)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped green
   onion or salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash hot pepper sauce
   (if you didn’t add salsa)
2 pounds skinless halibut filets

Directions:
In a bowl mix the parmesan cheese, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onions (or salsa), salt, and hot pepper sauce.  Arrange the halibut fillets in a lightly greased baking dish and pour sauce over the top.  Bake, covered, at 375º for 10 minutes, uncover and bake for 10 more until fish flakes easily.

This recipe was fabulous!  The fish was moist, yet flaky, and the sauce was robust and very creamy.  We happened to have fresh parmesan on hand, which is rare, so I'm sure I will eventually try this recipe with mozzarella or some more "normal" cheese.  We didn't have any green onion but, of course, we had fresh salsa in the fridge so I used that instead of the green onions and hot pepper sauce and it really enhanced the flavor.  The recipe originally instructed that the fish be broiled but I'm not a fan of broiling because I have a tendency to burn things that way so I opted to just bake it.  I highly recommend this recipe, let me know if you try it and what you think!

Fishing up a storm

Where do sayings like "fishing up a storm" come from? I understand sport analogy comments (these are sayings for those of us who can't think of anything else to say) because they come from things I typically know a bit about. But when did we start using them as everyday statements? "Go get 'em tiger." we know that this doesn't refer to Tiger Woods because he hasn't been around as long as the saying has, but does it apply to him? In some ways, unfortunately it does.
He got em alright and then got a divorce.
Sayings like "riding the pine," "howling at the moon," "step up to the plate" (I am sure we can find a ton more and I would love to see them in my comment box) are used daily and we all typically put a meaning to them that probably wasn't the original.

So today and for the rest of your life when you hear the words "fishing up a storm" I want you to think about me, Donn Hayes a co-owner in a small business called Petersburg Sport Fishing trying to make a go of a dream come true! I am here in Alaska waiting for the storm to roll in, and me to roll right with it.

Welcome to my world, the world of a true M.A.D. man.

What ever your storm is I hope you find it. I'm still pulling mine in.