Final Harry Potter Book Blasted For Containing Spoilers

NEW YORK—Harry Potter fans throughout the world were shocked, disappointed, and outraged to learn last week that J.K. Rowling's 750-page...

Harry Potter and the Deus Ex Machina

From Wikipedia: The phrase deus ex machina ['de.ʊs eks 'maːkʰi.naː] (literally "god out of a machine") describes an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.

I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows today. It was a very entertaining read--suspenseful, with enough holes leftover for fankids to stay glued to their message boards-- though I will say that I'm glad the series is over. I don't think I could have endured any more books in which Harry and his friends repeatedly find themselves moments from their demise only to be saved by the most ridiculous and improbable thing you could ever imagine. That being said, it was a fun series, the final book no exception, and now of course I'll have to call my sister-in-law later to gab about the story's resolution.

Dessert, Er, Breakfast of the Week: German Pancake

This is an awesome recipe. Rather than standing over a stove for 20 minutes flipping pancakes, you pour this mix into a hot pan, stick it in the oven, and it bakes and contorts itself into a crazy shape while you sip your tea and listen to NPR (at least that's how I do it).


3 large eggs
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 milk (I used a mix of 2% and half and half)
1/4 salt (can omit if using salted butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
confectioners' sugar and fresh fruit


Set oven to 400. In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Add milk, salt, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Once oven is hot, add the butter to a large cast-iron skillet (I don't have one, so I use a 10 in glass pie plate) and transfer to oven until the butter melts. Remove from the oven and quickly pour the batter into the hot pant. Return to oven and bake until the pancake is puffy and golden brown (about 15 min). Top with fruit and sugar.

While in Denver last week, Joanna took her first trip to Jamba Juice, and while only one of the employees was that peppy, she did get a similar dumfounded response when she was asked what kind of boost she wanted and answered, "A what?"

Dessert of the Week: Strawberry Mousse

This was a good choice for this week, as strawberries are Jo's favorite food and it allowed me to make a dessert without turning on the oven.

Perhaps feeling inspired, Joanna created her own dessert of the week and only melted one plastic dish in the process :)

In other news, we did see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week and I enjoyed it without debating the various bones of contention as to how closely it parallels the book (for those who enjoy that debate, I did read an interesting interview with the screenwriter who actually made me appreciate the film adaptation a little better). I am not ashamed to say that I enjoy the Harry Potter books and movies, though neither are enough to keep me up until midnight on their release dates (I really enjoy sleep, you see).

Back to the mitten state this weekend for the nuptials of Dad and Pam and a cousin council meeting to be held at a secret location known only as "The Meadow." Cheers!

Well, it seems July is half over and I've been relying on Doug to chronicle our daily misadventures over the last few weeks. I have a few pictures here to post from the last week, as Joanna has been visiting us and serving as resident MarioKart champion, fellow hiker, and chief lemon water drinker.

Here's a few from Jo and my hike to Horsetooth Rock (aptly named, as you can see). It was a little cloudy for good pictures, though it did make for a nice, breezy hike.

And here's a few from our hike up Mt. Bierstadt on Saturday. We couldn't resist offering Jo the opportunity to see the world at 14,060 feet. The first few miles are a beautiful rolling upgrade through willows and wildflowers. Things get a lot steeper the last 1.5 miles as your lungs begin fight the altitude. The last part is a boulder scramble to the summit for a spectacular view. All in all, we hiked a little over 7 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2,850 feet. My only gripe was the sheer number of people on the trail, which at times made the day feel a little more like an amusement park than a wilderness hike.