52 hike challenge #15 and #16

#15 -  On Rose's birthday we went for a walk in our neighborhood - basically straight down a mountain to the parking lot where I usually switch vehicles. We walked down, then picked up my car and drove it up to the house. I love when the snow is gone and the mud has mostly dried and I don't have to switch vehicles for the summer! It was a fun adventure - especially with the added excitement of Bart (the cat) following us the entire way and needing to ride back up in the car!

Then we had a wonderful birthday cake after our hike, decorated by the birthday girl herself :)

#16 - Today Rose and I went for an "adventure" in our neighborhood - basically walking over to the airbnb, down a hill, up a hill to "pride rock," then along the ridge to see the river from a new angle. It was a lovely day, albeit a bit windy, for an outdoor adventure.

the airbnb

Mid-hike "picnic"

Bart followed us again this time too!



52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

Peanut Better Blossoms (TYSC #23)

Peanut Better Blossoms
#23 of the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
Winter Holidays chapter

There's pretty much nothing better in the world (to me) than the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. So it's a bit of a surprise that I've never enjoyed "peanut butter blossoms," that traditional Christmas-season cookie that has the Hershey's kiss stuck on top. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the cookie part never tastes like peanut butter and Hershey's tastes like oily plastic. Thus I didn't have high hopes for this one, but I've been pleasantly surprised by this author so I thought I'd give it a shot.

They're a bit more labor-intensive than a typical drop cookie (or even refrigerator cookie)...

...but the fact that I took a selfie while eating my second one should be a good sign of the success of this recipe!!!

Verdict:  YUM! No wonder they are called peanut BETTER blossoms, because they truly are a million times better than the ones with the kisses on top. They weren't really THAT much work, so I will definitely keep these in my rotation. YUM!!!

Ozark Skillet Cake (TYSC #22)

Ozark Skillet Cake
#22 of the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
counter cakes chapter

This recipe looked good from the ingredient list, but I was confused why a bunch of bundt pans were pictured next to it. I mean, I love a good bundt cake and all, but this one gets cooked in a cast iron skillet - huh?  So I took a risk and made this one, even without knowing what the finished product was supposed to look like.

For some reason I imagined it more like a pannekoeken, even though in retrospect it didn't have nearly enough eggs to make something with that consistency.

It really was more like a shallow cake, but a bit caramelized since it was baked in the cast iron skillet. Huh.

Verdict:  This tasted fine. It was a little too autumn-ish for the beautiful spring day I baked it on, but it was good. Although I don't think I would even bake it again on a fall day unless I can modify it to make it more like a pannekoeken....Hmmm, maybe that will be my next challenge to myself... :)

annual birthday questions

Favorite color:  

Age 3 - blue and green and white and red and purple

Age 4 – pink

Age 5 – all of the colors in the rainbow except orange and red

Age 6 - rainbow

Age 7 - gold

Age 8 - light blue

Favorite toy/game:  

Age 3 - playing with baby things

Age 4 – playing Kristoff or Prince Hans

Age 5 – dragon Legos

Age 6 - Legos

Age 7 - my new Wild Kratts toys 
Age 8 - Legos

Favorite food:

Age 3 -  mac and cheese

Age 4 – mac and cheese

Age 5 – mac and cheese

Age 6 – mac and cheese

Age 7 - mac and cheese
Age 8 -  mac and cheese

Favorite drink:  

Age 3 – moose hair (?!?)

Age 4 – milk

Age 5 – chocolate milk

Age 6 – chocolate milk

Age 7 - chocolate milk
Age 8 -  ice water

Favorite movie:  

Age 3 - Happy Feet

Age 4 – Sleeping Beauty

Age 5 – Finding Nemo and Finding Dory

Age 6 - The Lion Guard

Age 7 - Lion King
Age 8 - Frozen 2

Favorite TV show:   

Age 3 – Caillou

Age 4 – the car one

Age 5 – My Little Pony

Age 6 - The Lion Guard

Age 7 - Wild Kratts
Age 8 - Wild Kratts

Favorite song:  

Age 3 - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Age 4 – Jasmine ("A Whole New World")

Age 5 – Twinkle Twinkle

Age 6 - Twinkle Twinkle

Age 7 - Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
Age 8 - Six: The Musical

Favorite book:  
             Age 3 - You are a LION (yoga book)

Age 4 – Anna and Elsa

Age 5 – My Little Pony (the Pinkie Pie one)

Age 6 - Green Eggs and Ham

Age 7 - Harry Potter
Age 8 - Warriors

Favorite outfit:  
             Age 3 - blue and white

Age 4 – my twirly dress I have on now

Age 5 – sparkly things

Age 6 - dresses

Age 7 - costumes
Age 8 - pants and a shirt

Best friend:  

Age 3 - Eden and Asher and Evan

Age 4 – Eden

Age 5 – Eden

Age 6 - Aleena

Age 7 - Allie
Age 8 - Allie

Favorite holiday:  

Age 3 - Christmas and Easter

Age 4 – my birthday

Age 5 – my birthday

Age 6 - April

Age 7 - my birthday
Age 8 - my birthday

What I take to bed each night:  

Age 3 - a cat 

Age 4 – pajamas

Age 5 – a stuffed animal like Rainbow Dash

Age 6 - myself

Age 7 - a stuffie
Age 8 - Wolfie

When I grow up, I want to be:  

Age 3 - a diamond

Age 4 – a princess

Age 5 – a junior ranger

Age 6 - nothing

Age 7 - a scientist
Age 8 - a history teacher

I'm afraid to: 

Age 3 – monsters

Age 4 – bears and alligators and dinosaurs

Age 5 – nothing!

Age 6 - be by myself

Age 7 - kill stink bugs
Age 8 - go on the walk we did earlier today

I'm proud of:  

Age 3 -??

Age 4 – Daddy

Age 5 – myself!

Age 6 - mommy and daddy

Age 7 - building Lego sets
Age 8 - all the Legos I have

Something I do really well:  

Age 3 - cookie monster

Age 4 – watch a movie

Age 5 – Legos

Age 6 - cleaning my room

Age 7 - keep on trying
Age 8 - Legos

This makes me happy:  

Age 3 - an Easter bunny

Age 4 – when I have love around me

Age 5 – doing Legos

Age 6 - hugs

Age 7 - when staying up late, going to sleep
Age 8 - Legos

This makes me sad:  
              Age 3 - a cow hit me

Age 4 – when someone hits me or bites me or pinches me or kicks me

Age 5 – when it's nap time

Age 6 - when somebody hits me

Age 7 - getting hurt
Age 8 - Wolfie not going to bed with me

Favorite time of day:  

Age 3 - movie time

Age 4 – playing with Eden

Age 5 – lunch time

Age 6 - dessert time

Age 7 - dessert time
Age 8 - 3pm

Dream vacation:  

Age 3 -??

Age 4 – to the princesses! (i.e., Disneyland)

Age 5 – Disney World

Age 6 - to Mitra's house

Age 7 - living in a jungle and swinging on vines
Age 8 - to go to Florida again

Favorite thing to do with Mommy: 
             Age 3 - play with her

Age 4 – play Candyland

Age 5 – cuddle

Age 6 - be outside playing tag

Age 7 - read books
Age 8 - snuggles

Favorite thing to do with Daddy:  

             Age 3 - play with him

Age 4 – play Candyland again!

Age 5 – play Legos

Age 6 - build Legos

Age 7 - build Legos
Age 8 - read Warriors and do Legos

52 hike challenge #14

It was supposed to rain all day, so Rose and I snuck in a quick "adventure" after breakfast when we realized it hadn't started raining yet. The snow from last week is finally starting to melt, so we walked down an old creek bed and back up again. Bart, one of our beloved outdoor cats, accompanied us, along with Doug the dog. Now we're home and it's raining so we have a busy afternoon planned of movies, baking and snuggling. :)

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

Happy Easter / 52 Hike Challenge #12+13

Happy Easter weekend!!!

Friday I left work just a titch early in order to get home to do the new hike that Rose and Mike wanted to take me on. For EFC "recess" each day they've been going on "adventures" and exploring new deer paths in the neighborhood. This one followed an old, dried up stream bed on our firetruck farms property next door. It was fun to see something new so close to home.

Bart followed us for the entire walk!

On Friday night it started snowing and didn't let up until early Sunday morning. Blech. So we mostly stayed inside all day Saturday and I did lots of baking/cooking.

Bluberry/rhubarb/lime pie, parker house rolls,
homemade fettucine primavera, and cran-walnut bread

Sunday morning Rose immediately got hard to work finding her Easter basket (only took about an hour!) and the 32 fake eggs I'd hidden on our main floor. Then she surprised us and told me and Mike she had hid an egg for each of us in her room! She said we worked so hard to make Easter special for her, so she wanted to do something to make Easter special for us. (Isn't she the sweetest kid ever?!)

Can you see Mike plowing the road?

After our "linner" (lunch/dinner) we went for another hike to see how much snow was melting. Thankfully I don't think I need to put chains back on my truck, so now we can relax for the rest of the evening.

Hope you have all had a lovely Easter weekend! And happy Passover to our Jewish friends as well!!


52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

EFC

We are about one month into Rose's homeschooling, and so far it's been great! Other than seriously missing out on social interactions with peers, and also missing several of her favorite teachers, she and Mike have been having a GREAT time.

First, they named their school EFC, which stands for "Education for Cats." It was either this or "the Burcusa School for Exceptionally Motivated and Hard-working Girls," but the former was what stuck.

So far she can't stop talking about the first assignment she had, which was a "measuring treasure chest hunt." Apparently her class tried multiple times to learn to use rulers but her peers kept using them as swords so they couldn't continue. But at EFC she was able to use not only a ruler but also a measuring tape! Mike had her go around the property and both measure and estimate all sorts of things, like "what is the perimeter of the chicken coop?" and "find something that is between 50 and 60 centimeters long."  She had SO much fun.

And most recently, they've been working hard on a "compare and contrast" report. The assignment from school was a 4-page fill-in-the-blank report comparing two planets:

Well, that didn't sound like enough fun for EFC, so they also made a "Who Would Win?" poster presentation!

This was Rose's final practice before she had to "turn in" her homework over Zoom the next day.  I'm so impressed with her hard work! And super proud of her "teacher" for keeping her so engaged in learning. EFC for the win!!!