Every year the Johnsons have a family reunion in Saude, Iowa on the 4th of July. It is a can’t miss event. Well, unless you are traveling in Europe. Right, Heather?

This year it was especially true. I delayed my move to Pennsylvania for my new job to celebrate one last year as a true Minnesota team member. Even though I didn’t actually play in the big game. Is it bad that I don’t even know if Iowa or Minnesota was victorious this year?

What a wonderful day! We had one of the best turn outs in years. I know someone kept a list, so how many total did we have? Axes wore a Spiderman hat, Batman shirt, penguin pajama pants, purple crocs, and chocolate from the whoopie pies Heidi and I had made the night before. Truly Dirt Bomb John’s Offspring. We celebrated the upcoming nuptials of Brandon and Shannon S, Shannon C’s new baby Jasmine, and Eli and Lisa’s soon-to-be born little girl. And Axes agreed with Sydney that there is something not quite right about the Protivin House.

To add a little sensory to this sensibility, although Heidi was not a fan of her whoopie pies, I would say that they were a perfect balance of rich cocoa, bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and cream cheese (milk fat, sourness, and cultured dairy). All the basic tastes (well minus umami) with some nice aromatics, but I am a sucker for some dark cocoa notes.