Call It What You Will

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake

2012-02-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake....Sounds funny doesn't it? But so does carrot cake and zucchini bread when you think about it.

I've been on a liquid diet for the last few days. P. Fisher had his wisdom teeth taken out (finally) and I've been partaking in the soft foods. Yesterday I made homemade vanilla pudding, Jell-o ice cream, and beer cheese soup. Today I decided I was going to make something soft, but solid. No more liquid or gelatinous textures for me.

A couple weeks ago, I saw Joy the Baker's chocolate beet cake. I'm sure it was delicious. But as I've mentioned before, I am incapable of following a recipe. I don't love chocolate. (I know that makes me a bit odd.) But, I do like orange and chocolate together. I love beets and orange together as well. So orange chocolate beet cake it is. And, our grocery store has started carrying golden beets which are a bit sweeter and even more delicious than the traditional red beets, so it all worked out so well.

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake
Adapted some from Joy the Baker.

2 medium beets roasted with a bit of olive oil in the oven for 1 hour. After cool, peel and grate.

Cake:
1 cup shredded beet for the cake
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest from one orange
Juice squeezed from one orange
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 stick butter, softened
8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
4 powdered sugar
1/4 c. grated beets
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. orange juice
A little bit of milk if needed to get a thinner consistency
pinch of salt

Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans. Preheat oven to 350.

Mix butter and both sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add beets, orange zest, vanilla, and orange juice and beat on medium speed until fully mixed.

Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On a low speed mix the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk until just mixed together. Pour into two 9 inch round pans and bake 26-30 minutes.

For the frosting, mix all ingredients together until you get to that spreadable consistency. Spread on your cake and enjoy!

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: Fresh Baked Slice-it-Yourself Bread

2012-01-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

I always thought bread was much more difficult than it actually is. For some reason my sister and I bake the same things at the same time. One of us just gets around to blogging about it first. The other day she mentioned that she acquired the bread machine. Since she moved my parents bread machine across the country and unfortunately it was not one of our wedding presents, I had to make bread the old-fashioned way. With my hands. I don't have any special recipes to share with you today - just wanted to share that it's really easy - and tastes pretty good compared to Wonderbread.

Cake that's good for you: Angel Food

2012-01-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Good for you might be a stretch, but it's mostly egg white. And if an egg white omelet can be good for you, why can't a cake made of egg white be good for you, too?? That should make you feel better about eating a lot of it all at once.

I'll confess. I haven't made a lot of cake from scratch. But I was craving angel food and thought I might try it. Google led me to Alton Brown's recipe.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

My Favorite Snack!

2012-01-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

It's a quiet weekend. I was home sick most of this week with a sinus infection and respiratory infection. I'm getting better with copious amounts of antibiotics and rest, but still relaxing this weekend.
While relaxing and channel surfing, I found the old version of Footloose. My favorite thing with a movie is a snack. And my favorite snack is salty, buttery, and delicious.

1 stick of melted butter in a 9x13 pan
2 T of Worcestershire sauce
1 T seasoning salt
1 box of Crispix cereal

Mix it all together. Microwave for 7 minutes stirring every 2. And there you have it....A delicious, salty, buttery snack.

Meatballs....The Perfect Food For Any Occasion

2012-01-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Meatballs are so versatile. They can be homey comfort food. They can be fancy (i.e., served on a toothpick at a cocktail party). They can be Swedish. They can be Italian. You can make them from any type of meat (or even vegetarian). You can add any seasoning you like. You can follow a recipe. Or you can just go with the flow and use what sounds good at the moment (that's more my style).

Two meals are on the menu this week with these meatballs: spaghetti and meatballs and meatball pizzas. (Pictures of those will come with those meals - but for now, I'll focus on my make-ahead-meatballs)

As I mentioned, you can do whatever you want with a meatball. The base: meat, breadcrumbs, and egg.

For these, I used Colosimo's skinless Italian sausage, ground beef (about three-quarters of a pound of each), salt and pepper, about a cup of breadcrumbs, two eggs, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and a handful of Parmesan cheese.

Mix it all up....getting my hands all slimy and gooey isn't my favorite part, but if you take the meat out of the refrigerator for a little bit to warm it up so it doesn't freeze your hands, it's a little bit better. I usually forget that part until I'm in the middle of it with icy cold fingers.

Form meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. If you want all of the grease to drain out, you can put it on a wire rack on the baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on how big you made your meatballs. And then enjoy! I'm already looking forward to spaghetti and pizza this week.

New Year's Corned Beef & Cabbage

2012-01-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

This has been a great weekend. I haven't had to do anything at all. I'm not completely lazy....I've just been extraordinarily busy lately....and because of that I have taken a great deal of pleasure in my lack of obligation for the weekend. Lots of sleep and a good book keeping me company has turned into a good couple days....and I have one more tomorrow!

But on to the cooking...

For as long as I can remember, my family has had corned beef and cabbage on New Year's Day (St. Patrick's Day, too). It's an Irish tradition to have corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. So continuing in my family's Irish tradition, I got up early to make corned beef this morning.

I happened to find a recipe for crock pot corned beef a while ago....and over the course of time (I am incapable of following a recipe) there have been a few adjustments.

Chop up a medium onion, about a pound of carrots, and about a pound of potatoes. Put it all in the bottom of the crock pot. Rinse of 2-4 pounds of corned beef (A big one is good if you like leftovers for sandwiches) and place on top of the vegetables fat side down. Pour a 12oz beer (Today was an IPA and it was delicious, but you can use whatever you have handy or like best.) over the top of it. Then take your seasoning packed from the corned beef and a couple tablespoons of mustard (I prefer spicy brown) and rub it over the top of the corned beef. Final step is to mix about 1/4 cup of brown sugar with 1 cup of water and pour over the top. I also like to sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on top so it caramelizes a bit on top.

Then set that crock pot to low for 10-12 hours and let the delicious smells permeate the air....If you're anything like us, you'll get pretty impatient about 6 hours in so make sure you have a snack. (Little fruit pies are good snacks.) And then for the last hour, add cabbage to the top.

All that is left now is to enjoy....Hope you all have a great new year!

Fruit Pie

2012-01-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

As much as I like to cook, even I am surprised by this next fact.

I have never made a fruit pie...ever.

I love fruit pies....cherry, blueberry, peach, apple....you name it and I probably like it if it's fruit baked in crust. I found this handy little tool to make mini-pie-pockets. It's like your own homemade version of Hostess fruit pies!

Tonight I made cherry and apple pies to follow up the traditional corned beef new year dinner....blog on that coming soon.

In the cherries: pitted cherries, a little sugar, quick cooking tapioca, melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Let it sit together for about 15 minutes.

For the apples: a sliced apple, a little sugar, melted butter, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I cheated and used Pillsbury and then cut rectangles.

Put some filling into the pie press.

Put on a baking sheet and cut a couple slits in the top crust. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with some sugar....and some cinnamon on the apple if you'd like.

And then bake for 18-22 minutes at 400 degrees. And eat!

Those Pesky Resolutions For The New Year

2011-12-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time again. I don't know where the last year went. I've always been told that each year in your life goes faster than the last because proportionately it's a smaller part of your life....It certainly seems that way.

I realized as I read a few of the Christmas card letters this year that not much of note happens for most people throughout a year. At least I'm not alone in that. But, this year did bring a few big events:

My sisters, parents, and I went to Kenya for a safari. We saw amazing things, met great new people, and had an incredible time (hopefully I'm speaking for all of us).
We finished the first full year of being married....which truth be told wasn't all that much different than before we were married. The big differences is that we have a joint checking and saving account now....and even that took us a few months.
And finally, I hit the big 3-0. After a bit of panic (three months of it to be precise), the big day came and went without much fanfare and I survived to live another day.

Now to think forward a little bit....I am a planner after all. Here are a few resolutions and items to cross off the bucket list for this year:

I'm going to work on learning a second language. I'm debating on which one. I've got it narrowed down to Swahili (so I can go back to Kenya and live forever) or the more practical, Spanish. Maybe I'll just do both??
Start taking guitar lessons and put that guitar that I was so sure I would use to use....or just start playing Rocksmith.
The always cliche, work out more. It's been a rough year spending time on myself and getting healthy. I have been mandated by the doctor to exercise more and with work conflicting, I haven't been so good about following that medical advice.
Read 36 books. This year I set the bar low at 24 and finished 37, so it's time to up my game. I might also try to finish the Kurt Vonnegut collection within that 36.
Visit Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks. I've hit all of Utah's National Parks, and it's time to expand the boundaries.

So that's my list. I'm also going to blog a bit more this year....I say that every year. So you should read and comment more to give me the motivation to keep going. Share it, too. I like new readers.

Hope you all have a great New Year's Eve.....I'm sure I'll be tucked into bed nice and early as I usually am, so enjoy it for me. And have an even better new year!

Mesa Verde = Awesome AND Carlsbad Caverns = Amazing

2011-12-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

A preface to this post: I always thought Carlsbad Caverns were in California. They are actually in New Mexico.

This post is long overdue. We spent Thanksgiving in Texas. I never thought I would voluntarily go to Texas, but in the last year, both my mother and father-in-law have migrated to San Antonio, so we went for Thanksgiving. I will admit that Texas was better than I expected it to be. San Antonio seems to be a fun city....not as fun as Austin from what I hear....but still fun.

We made a bold decision to road trip from Utah to Texas rather than fly. There were moments where I think we both may have thought it was a mistake, but it was a fun trip overall. We decided to drive so we could visit our new niece who lives just south of Grand Junction, CO, then stop in at Mesa Verde National Park and make the rest of the trip to San Antonio on the way there. On the way home, we planned on stopping at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

So to start: Mesa Verde. It's incredible. It's amazing all of the stories and definitely worth making the trip back when more of the trails and dwellings are open. (October is the end of their season because of the ice so we only got to go down into one area.) I was pretty impressed with the park even in its half open state. Then on the way back we stopped in Carlsbad, NM and saw the caves. It was like being on another planet. I was shocked by the caves - Truth be told, I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was in California after all. But this was incredible. The pictures don't do it justice (for either park) so take my word for it and check it out for yourself. Trust me....you won't regret it.

Mesa Verde:

Carlsbad Caverns:

The Cutest Safari Animal Quilt Yet

2011-12-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it. I'm a procrastinator. I just finished my niece's Christmas present this afternoon.

But it is the cutest quilting project that I've put together yet so hopefully it's worth being a little late (not that she'll realize it being that she's not even three months old yet.).

I do really like my safari animals as you all know....So safari animals were the obvious selection when I was perusing the fabric store. And then to make it just a bit better, some satin binding....every one needs a little satin edging around their blanket. I can assure you, it makes the blanket so much better. I love this one so much that I'm tempted to keep it for myself.....But I promised I'd get it in the mail tomorrow so I guess I'm out of luck.

It Goes Together Like Peas and Carrots

2011-10-26T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am trying really hard to keep staples around so that at any given moment, we can make dinner without requiring a trip to the store. There are a few things that are always on hand in our house and risotto is one of them.

I used to think risotto must be a difficult meal, but that isn't quite reality. I think it's a great food and in about a half hour you can have an entire meal (even one that includes all four food groups). It's one of the most versatile foods I know of.....good as a side....good as a meal....and you can throw almost anything into it.

So after a long day at work, I started digging around and tonight the kitchen cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator provided me with chicken, peas, and carrots to put together a tasty one dish meal.

Risotto du Jour
(All measurements are approximate - As I said, you can throw almost anything in)

2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic minced
Saute for about 3-5 minutes until onions and garlic start to be clear.
1 c. risotto
Add to the pan and saute for another couple minutes.
3 c. chicken broth
Add one cup at a time until the liquid is absorbed.
1 c. peas
1 chicken breast cut and cooked
1 c. parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
a dash of cayenne
1 T oregano
Add the rest of the ingredients just before the last of the liquid has been absorbed and saute for a couple more minutes until the cheese melts.

Angel's Hands Update

2011-10-25T15:55:00.000-06:00

I mentioned my Angel's Hands Quilt a few posts ago and just wanted to report that even though I was nervous about it not making any money, it raised around $1,500.00 at last weekend's fundraiser! I don't know the exact amount yet, but so far, it's much more than I expected! Glad I could contribute to such a great organization!

Pumpkin Bars, A Fall Delight

2011-10-23T21:21:00.001-06:00

As I may have mentioned before, fall is my favorite season. And with fall, pumpkins start appearing everywhere. I don't love (by don't love, I really mean hate) pumpkin in its more common dessert form, pumpkin pie. But, I do love pumpkin bars. I feel like I've eaten these every fall for as long as I can remember....all the way back to the Indiana days (I'm pretty sure this recipe came from one of my old neighbors). For some reason I have two memories associated with these today. 1) My grandpa....for years he gave me a hard time because I only gave him a small piece to try because I wasn't sure if he'd like them. And you would never want to waste these on someone who didn't like them for some crazy reason. And 2) This old cat that lived in the woods. Ralph was his name. He was a sad cat missing a tail and ear and maybe even an eye.

Now that I've shared that bit of odd cat nostalgia, I'll share the recipe for my favorite pumpkin bars. Hopefully you enjoy them just as much as I do.

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 c. flour
1 c. nuts (optional.....I always opt out, but if you like nuts, I guess that's fine, too.)

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Then you should have this:

Then, while they are cooling a bit, start working on the frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese
6 T. melted butter
3 c. powdered sugar

Mix and spread on the warm cake.

Oh and I remember something else.....don't forget the flour. It doesn't turn out well. And if you share relatives with me, you will never ever hear the end of it.

Leftover Lasagna Night

2011-10-20T19:21:00.000-06:00

I love leftover lasagna night. Like almost every kind of soup, it's one of those foods that I think gets better as it sits.

I've been on a bit of a mission to have some meals prepared in the freezer for those nights that I just don't feel like cooking. As much as I love to cook, I have a job.....meaning that some nights I get home and I just want to blankly at the television. I'll admit it. I like to stare blankly at the television more than I should and sometimes that interferes with my desire to cook dinner....especially after a long day at work.

I digress....Last night in my mission to prepare meals to add to my 5 pounds of meatloaf in the freezer, I went for lasagna. One pan for dinner and three for the freezer for a date that is TBD.

Lasagna can be made a million different ways....And I think it probably is. But here is my very non-specific recipe.

Lasagna
Noodles (The kind that don't need to be boiled are AMAZING. I wish I would have splurged on them and not had to deal with noodles sticking like crazy....otherwise, boil your noodles according to the package before using)

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage
1/2 lb. hamburger
Brown both

Add your choice of jarred spaghetti sauce (I ALWAYS use Ragu Traditional Old World Style sauce) and then I add some secret arabiatta spice mix from Italy to add a little something extra. Simmer for a bit.

4 c. mozzarella
1/2 c. parmesan
8 oz. ricotta
8oz. cottage cheese
a couple tablespoons of basil
a tablespoon or so of oregano
a clove or two of minced garlic
a little fresh ground nutmeg
2 eggs
Mix it all together.

Then in your pan, spread a little bit of sauce and layer the bottom with noodles. Spread half of your cheese mixture along the bottom. Spread half of your meat and sauce mixture on that. Then repeat that with more noodles, cheese, and meat. Then one more layer of noodles, a little more sauce, and some more mozzarella and parmesan across the top.

Bake at 375 for a half hour covered in foil. Remove the foil for the last ten minutes. Let rest for a few minutes and enjoy....I'm about to enjoy some more leftovers right now.

Dough Twice Tonight....Homemade Pizza on the Grill

2011-10-17T22:07:00.001-06:00

The finished product.....Pretty delicious if I do say so myself....though I had to pick the pepperoni off my pieces

Not so long ago, I went to Africa (and it was amazing and I want to go back--just saying). On our way, we spent the night in New Jersey where I learned just how good grilled pizza can be. It was the first time I'd ever had it and it's really good. Crispy crust on the bottom, yet still a little chewy....perfect texture in my book....and for those of you who know me, texture is a big deal.

I tried pizza on the grill a few weeks ago and it was really good--however, I bought the dough from the pizza place by my house and they charged almost as much as a whole pizza would cost for the dough alone. (And for the extra couple dollars, I should probably just have them make my pizza.) So I have been keeping my eye out for pizza dough recipes. And then my cousin happens to post about his homemade pizza so I borrowed his recipe tonight. (I'll share it if he says it's okay -- but it's pretty standard: flour, salt, yeast, water, sugar, olive oil)

After I finished my apple dumplings, I started on the pizza dough. It was pretty easy (my hands got a good workout from kneading the dough) and turned out great.

The ingredients

Half of the dough rising

The assembled pizza (sauce, cheese, minced shallot, red pepper, Italian sausage, and pepperoni) before putting it on the grill

Transfer the pizza onto the pizza stone that had been heating on the grill

After a few minutes on the pizza stone, pull it off and put it on the grate and cook for a few more minutes until it's finished to your liking

Apple Dumplings.....It's a Dumpling Day for the Family

2011-10-17T21:50:00.000-06:00

There are a few things my grandma used to make....I remember "yay thick" meat (aka Swiss steak), chicken n' noodles, peach cobbler, stuffing balls, and apple pie or dumplings. Today, I bring you apple dumplings. My sister and I are on the same wavelength with food sometimes. We seem to have the same things on our mind and make the same things and then one of us beats the other to a blog. Today, S's blog brought apple dumplings to you first. She inspired more than one person to make apple dumplings today--I came home and made some and my cousin also made them this evening. That's two people--that's influence.

As you may know, I like to cook.....quite a lot. I like baked goods....quite a lot. But, I don't bake all that much. As scientific as I can be, it's so precise and I prefer throwing things together most days. The thing that amazes me is that you can take a handful of ingredients, none of which taste good on their own (apples being the exception), and turn it into delicious.

I do like the results and I have to say that these are still delicious. Try it....you just might like it.

APPLE DUMPLINGS

Recipe from Grandma

3-4 Apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

Dough:

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. shortening

1/2 c milk (pour in all at once)

Mix it all together until it sticks

Sauce:

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 c. sugar

2 c. cold water

Bring to a boil

Grab a little dough and put some apples in it. Stretch the dough around the apples and put the dumpling in a pan. Repeat until you have filled the pan. Pour the sauce over the top and then bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Angel's Hands Foundation Quilt

2011-10-15T10:07:00.000-06:00

I finally finished it. This is my biggest quilting project to date. I'd wager to say that this will remain my biggest project ever until I have a really good workspace.

Angel's Hands Foundation is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with rare diseases. Today is their 10th annual "Friendrasier." Every year they have a fundraiser that includes a silent auction and a live auction for the bigger items. I have made quilts in the past for their silent auction, but this year, I made it to the live auction. We (the kids and I) put together a special quilt in honor of the 10th anniversary celebration. Each of the kids made a quilt square with their hand print (It is called Angel's Hands, after all) and I have been working on sewing them all together. I think it turned out better than I thought it would. We will see how it turns out in the true test of the auction tonight (I'm a bit nervous). I'll share the results as soon as I hear.

In the meantime, some pictures....Not great pictures, but you can still see the final product.

Another Autumn in Utah...And a Weekend Report of Exciting Things

2011-09-25T20:02:00.000-06:00

Let me start off by saying that this past week has been nothing shy of insanity. Lots of things going on....none of them really worth getting into right now....so let's just say it was a busy week.

One of the things that has been keeping me busy over the past handful of weeks was my first Etsy sale. I sold 100 save-the-dates and have been busy as can be tying bows galore. Lots of hours (not sure it's worth it sometimes) and ten sore fingers later, 105 save the dates were finished. I got them shipped out this week and heard back Saturday that she LOVED them. (Her all caps, not mine) That was pretty exciting because I was pretty nervous that she wouldn't like them after all of that work.

Then a few other exciting things. Today is the first year anniversary.....hard to believe it's been a whole year already....P. Fisher and I spent some time staycationing at The Waldorf. I always forget how nice it is to visit Park City. The last time I was here on vacation was in 1997. Taking a couple days to just relax and enjoy this town on "vacation" is quite nice. One really exciting meal was at The Farm at (notice, I actually paid attention and left "the" out even though it's stupid since they aren't facebook) Canyons Resort. They prepare all local food and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I'd wanted to try it, but had heard mixed reviews. I thought it was DELICIOUS. I ventured out and tried the game hen....cooked sous vide....on top of cinnamon scented faro, reconstituted port wine cherries, some sort of glazed carrots, and some other stuff....and it was soooo good. Definitely try it if you get the chance.

The highlight of anniversary though is that it is the year of paper for gifts. I got tickets to Michael Jackson The Immortal Cirque du Soleil.....And I am very, very, very excited!!!

And last but not least, we went up to Guardsmans Pass through Wasatch State Park to look at the leaves today....It is pretty stunning. I love fall. It's definitely my favorite season and it definitely goes by too fast in this mountain paradise we live in. (And as one added note, I played golf this afternoon over at Wasatch and I had my best round EVER! I'll get this game yet. p.s. mom -- I ran into Aunt Mary at the golf course and she'd like you to play with her :-) I think you probably should.)

The Latest in Quilting....Project 1 of 3 This Month

2011-09-10T09:48:00.000-06:00

This month is a busy quilting month for me. A couple babies and the 10th anniversary Angel's Hands quilt for their October Friendraiser. Pictures of the other two projects will come....but at the moment, squares are cut and I haven't made much progress beyond that.

Friends of mine are having their second baby next month and the pressure of the baby shower got me moving on my sewing project queue. This is one of my favorites because I LOVE elephants. Hopefully they will enjoy it, too!

Peach Cobbler....Straight From My Grandma

2011-08-09T21:03:00.001-06:00

There are few things that make me love summer (especially since I don't particularly love the hot temperatures) more than peaches.

I've had peach cobbler in my head for a few days now and ran into some ripe peaches today so I couldn't say no any longer. I know there are probably a million recipes for this dessert (or breakfast if you so choose - it has fruit in it after all), but I love only one. My grandma used to make this in the summer and to this day it's the only recipe I use.

The Peaches - About 8 peaches sliced, 2 T. melted butter, 1 pinch of cinnamon, 1 pinch of nutmeg, and 1 T cornstarch mixed with 1/2 c. water


The Butter - 1/2 c. butter melted in a 9x13, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

The batter -- 1 c. milk, 1 c. sugar, 1 c. flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt beaten until smooth

Pour the batter in the butter mixture

Pour the peaches on top of the butter and batter

Bake for 1 hour at 350 (knife test) -- And then you have bubbly, peachy, buttery, cinnamony deliciousness

I Voluntarily Went Camping

2011-08-07T22:10:00.001-06:00

That's right....You read it here first. I voluntarily went camping this weekend.

It's been a bit of a crazy few days. P. Fisher had the entire weekend off (which was a first since he started his new job in April) so we started making plans to get away from it all. It started with plans to go to Yellowstone for the weekend. And then that changed to going to Rocky Mountain National Park for the weekend. And then all of that went awry....There was the possibility that I was going to be jumping on a plane....Once I knew I wasn't going anywhere, I suggested camping in the Uintas....Yes, that is correct, I suggested camping....voluntarily.

I've been real camping once and it was very dirty. I had fun, but I was very dirty and I like a shower a bit more frequently if I'm going to be smothered in dirt. That was two years ago and I thought it was about time that I gave it another try.

All in all, I'd do it again. I got dirty this time, but I got to go home and take a shower.

I will say that the Uintas are pretty spectacular....It's beautiful up there....and quiet. BUT, very, very cold. I think I only slept for a couple hours because I was so cold. I definitely could have used a couple of those hot water bottles they got me used to camping in Africa.

The highlights were definitely hobo dinners, hotdogs on a stick, and s'mores. I saw one animal....One measly deer, a few robins, and a bazillion mosquitoes. I even brought my binoculars and my birding books to identify all of the new birds I saw. Maybe next time I'll have more luck with both the animals and birds. The mosquitoes I can do without. Today I look like one big red splotch from all of the mosquito bites....

A lot more Safari Pictures

2011-07-27T17:14:00.001-06:00

Here are links to a lot more safari pictures -- if you're at all interested anymore.

A Few of My Favorite Things....Lion

2011-07-27T17:11:00.001-06:00

Lion

The new lion cubs. These were just so cute that I was seriously tempted to pack one up and take it home.

The day-old baby giraffe. This was also so cute that I was tempted to take one home, but giraffes are quite a bit larger than lion cubs.

The migration. It was a bit early this year so we caught about a million wildebeest on their way into the Mara. We watched them crossing the river and that leads me to my other highlight.

The lioness dragging the wildebeest she had just killed up the river banks. I didn't see a kill...I'm told that I probably don't really want to see that anyway....but I did see lions eating animals so I am content with that. Maybe next time my morbid curiosity will be satiated.

A Few of My Favorite Things....Mara

2011-07-27T17:10:00.005-06:00

Mara

The lion pride. We had seen lions before, but not like this. The entire pride, cubs and all, were together and didn't seem to mind us being around so I have a lot of pictures of them. The cubs even ate a bushbuck for us.

Our one and only leopard. And it was definitely elusive.

Chasing wildebeest from male to male....

And finally, our guides - Jimmy & Marema - were quite a lot of fun. From chasing wildebeest from one male to the next to races and teaching the tootsie roll at a sundowner, we really enjoyed their company and had fun while we were at Mara.

A Few of My Favorite Things....Rhino

2011-07-27T17:10:00.004-06:00

Rhino

Rhinos! The only rhinos we saw and we saw quite a few here. They aren't the prettiest animal out there, but they are pretty amazing.

Cheetahs! This is where we saw our first cheetahs. Three brothers were together and we saw them a couple times over the three days we were there.

The food. This was one of my favorite camps for food.
Our guides - Daniel & Bill & others - were also fantastic. Despite a rocky start to this camp between the hospital visit and the torrential rains, we had a good time with Daniel driving us about in some of the worst driving conditions I've ever seen. I definitely enjoyed lots of new animal information....especially about warthogs and their memory.
Crossing the equator....I know. I'm kind of a nerd.

And then for what may be the highlight of my entire trip: on the first night we were at Rhino, I woke up a couple times to the lions outside our tents. On the third morning we were woken up with the pleasant wake up call of "Good morning. Lions. Lions." and outside we went to lions right in front of our tent. Needless to say in the early morning excitement, there are no pictures. But it was definitely one of my favorite things.