inky and theo

We have two identical black cats.

I used to be able to tell them apart because Inky had white whiskers and Theo was, well, the other one. But suddenly Inky lost his white whiskers and now I have NO idea who is who. It not only feels rude to not know their names, but it also feels a bit dangerous if one gets sick and has to go to the vet and I have no idea who is with me. 

So tonight I decided to take some photos to help me learn. Rose somehow has always been able to differentiate them, so I had her identify them both me.

Then I started memorizing their facial features. I think Theo has slightly more green eyes and Inky's are slightly more yellow. 

I still can't tell them apart if just one comes up to me, but I can now differentiate them if I can see both sets of eyes at once! I'll take that as some progress... :)

52 hike challenge?

I'm not sure if I'm up for a full-blown 52 hike challenge this year, but I figured I might as well track my 2020 hikes just in case. We'll see. I think this is the year I'm going to think of fun challenges for myself (such as my baking treat yo' self challenge) but with no pressure and no self-flaggelation if I change course in a month or six months.  I'm practicing being gentle with myself, and NOT being my own worst critic!

So on New Year's day I did my standard two-mile out-and-back. I didn't take any photos, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Today I did my standard 4.5 mile loop. It was a VERY windy day (as evidenced by my hair!) and also pretty overcast, but the sun did peak out for about 2 minutes of my nearly two hour hike. (The elevation changes are so steep that it really does take me that ridiculously long to do this hike!)

So windy! :)

Doug loved saying hi to the neighbor's horses and cows!

Love this new sign one of the neighbors put up on his sheep pen!

Two down, we'll see how many more I get to in 2020 :)

Coffee-Caramel Monkey Bread

Coffee-Caramel Monkey Bread
sweet breads chapter
Recipe #4 of the Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge

Until this weekend, I really thought I didn't like caramel. I've had plenty of bad experiences with caramel in the past, from homemade hard caramel candies, to that disgusting caramel sauce that comes in jars in the grocery stores in order to pour over ice cream. Not to mention the salted caramel craze that's currently going on, a combination that is, IMHO, an abomination.

Furthermore, my previous experiences with monkey bread have been marginal at best. It's usually way too dense, or sickeningly sweet, or having a weird aftertaste of the preservatives in store-bought dough. So, I mean, it's fine and all, but not my favorite.

As a result, when I saw that the next recipe in my book was for Coffee-Caramel Monkey Bread, let's just say I wasn't chomping at the bit. But Rose saw the photo and was excited, so it seemed like the least I could do for her on a Sunday morning. Plus I'd get to check this one off and get it out of the way.

I did all the prep work on Saturday afternoon/evening, so it could do its second rise in the fridge and be ready to pop in the oven first thing in the morning. Rose and her friend Allie were excellent helpers when it came to rolling the dough into 1" balls, covering them in melted butter, and rolling them in cinnamon sugar.

When it finally came out of the oven on Sunday morning, it actually looked appetizing to me! But the big question was how it would taste....

Verdict: This recipe was a revelation. It turns out that I actually DO like caramel (I mean, what's not to love about butter and brown sugar?!), so I must just not like "caramel" flavor. Which shouldn't be a surprise, because usually the chemicalized versions of classics are never as good as the homemade original - same for the dough in monkey bread, too, of course.  So this was surprisingly quite delicious! I've already eaten way more than I expected I would, and all three of us have been picking at the remains each time we walk by the table (tee hee).  So my bottom line is that I would definitely recommend this recipe if you know you like caramel and monkey bread, and I would also recommend if it you're like me and think you don't like either :)

Scotch-a-roos

SCOTCH-A-ROOS
Bars chapter
Recipe #3 in the Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge


Yesterday I was paging ahead in my new cookbook to make sure I had all the ingredients for the next recipe in the book, and I realized it was yet another recipe without chocolate. Seriously, what is the point of baking if there isn't going to be chocolate in the finished product? I mean, I know we're only two recipes in, but clearly this seems like an egregious error on the author's or publisher's part ;) 

So Rose and I decided to skip ahead to p 167 tonight, because I saw the most glorious bars that I always adore:

Apparently these little gems have a name: Scotch-a-roos. Who knew? I just know that these are the first things I go for at any Midwestern bake sale or potluck. For some reason I just assumed they must be difficult to make, and since I never knew they had a name I was never able to verify my assumption.  But when I saw these puppies in my book, I just knew we HAD to try them.  STAT.

Turns out, they are pretty much the simplest bars one could possible make. I can't even call it baking because you basically just mix the ingredients on the stove and then press them into a pan. Easy peasy.

We probably should have waited for them to cool to room temperature, but Rose and I were so excited that we dug in while they were still warm. Ooey gooey, chocolate-peanut butter goodness. Drool.

Verdict:  Definitely a Minnesota classic and not just an obscure Chicago item. It might be dangerous for me to know how ridiculously easy it is to make these... they will probably become a regular in my baking repertoire. (I wonder if these are also a classic in Montana? Anyone know?) Oh, I should mention that I did make one substitution - instead of chocolate and butterscotch chips for the top layer, I used chocolate and peanut butter chips. (Who likes butterscotch chips anyway? More peanut butter, for the win!) So we should probably call these peanut-a-roos or something instead ;) Regardless of the name, I heartily recommend this recipe!

Swedish Flop

Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge

SWEDISH FLOP
(sweet bread chapter)

Second recipe of the book, and another one I had never heard of before. (Like I said in my last post, this is a very Chicago-centric view of the Midwest!) It starts with a yeasted sweet dough, with fancy buttercream and jam in the middle, and topped with streusel and powdered sugar. Sounds tasty, right? Plus, this recipe actually checks off THREE recipes for my challenge, because the Swedish Flop itself is based on "Buttery, Yeast-Raised Coffeecake Dough" and "Ermine Frosting." I could have also used homemade jam, but I didn't realize that until it was too late! So we will have to settle for store-bought jam this time, sorry!

As I was baking this creation, two thoughts on the book design became apparent to me (separate from review of the recipes themselves)...
First, the good: the author is a great writer! I love her commentary as the intro for each recipe. For example, this one has a paragraph about the uniqely Midwestern contraction, "Jeet?" (aka "Did you eat?"), a Midwesternism that I fondly recall my Mid-Atlantic-raised father joking about frequently when I was a kid. 
Second, the not as good: While I love the photos accompanying the ingredients page for each recipe, I realized I'm definitely not a huge fan of having to repeatedly turn the page between the ingredients and the instructions. My hands are inevitably sticky or wet every time I realize that I don't remember how much of X ingredient I'm supposed to be adding in step Y.  My cookbook is already starting to look quite worn as a result, and I'm only on the second recipe in the book!

With those comments aside, here was my finished product about 4-ish hours later:

Verdict:  Another winner! Definitely not something I would typically gravitate toward baking or ordering, but I really enjoyed this one. The frosting is sweet without being cloying, and also remarkably light - almost like a cross between buttercream and whipped cream - which pairs nicely with the thin layer of jam. The cake was light and also not overly sweet.  Again, probably not something I'll add to my regular baking repertoire, but definitely one I would make again if someone requests it. Those Eastern Europeans living in Chicago seem to know a thing or two about tasty desserts ;)


Happy New Year!!!

I'm back!

Time to dust off this old computer and get back in the blogging routine again! I left off about a month in to the 52 hike challenge (aka Feb 2019), after having been derailed by me getting the flu twice (both strains, and both confirmed, despite having gotten my flu shot, thank you very much) and by a messy situation at work that left me clinically depressed and asking to be reassigned to a different department. But now that I'm in a better work situation, I'm feeling MUCH better emotionally and I'm ready for a new (fun) adventure. Now, I'm not a huge fan of New Years resolutions, as they tend to be very extreme and image-obsessed and usually people ditch them within a month or two. So rather than plan a New Years resolution to start my fresh outlook on life, I started to think of what I could do instead that would still be a bit structured and also outside of my typical routines and experiences.

On Christmas Day I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I was reading one of the cookbooks I got from my sister-in-law:  Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland   (Yes, I read cookbooks cover to cover, just for fun!)

I was enamored. The recipes all looked delicious and also doable. Perhaps I was feeling nostalgic for the Midwest, or perhaps I just wanted to break out of my baking ruts.  But reading this cookbook was the impetus for what I'll call my "Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge."

I'm going to bake every recipe in the book!!

Once the idea came to me, I got so excited! What a fun way to expand my baking horizons and to have fun doing it.  And hopefully my family and coworkers won't mind too much when I force the baked goods on them :)

I'm going to try to go in order, but I'm sure there will be some that change due to seasonality, time, or just what mood I'm in. Similarly, I'm going to try to bake each weekend, but I'm also going to cut myself plenty of slack if it just doesn't happen for some reason.

So my first treat yo' self challenge was the first recipe in the book: Potica / Povitica  (Sweet Breads chapter)

This was a bit intimidating to start with because I'd never heard of the item nor tasted it, which always makes me question whether my results are "right" or not. Furthermore, this one has a warning that "the process of shaping potica is absolutely a case of practice making perfect." Gulp.  So I stifled my fears and got to work... 

About three hours later, this was our reward!

It was delicious. Rose said it was the best bread she'd ever tasted in her entire life (which is high praise from the girl who had called my pain au chocolat earlier in day "fine, but I've had better"). To me it tasted like a cross between baklava, babka, and a cinnamon roll, but not as sweet as any of those (although still plenty sweet for a bread). 

Verdict: Definitely a fun first challenge. I'm not sure I loved it enough to make it a regular part of my baking routine, but I'd certainly be willing to make it for someone else if they request it. And the shaping really wasn't that difficult.  Also, I'm pretty confident that mine tasted "right" based on the internet research I did while it was rising and baking. Kudos to the author for her excellent instructions.  So far my Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge is off to a great start!

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

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 

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

Favorite drink:  

Age 3 – moose hair (?!?)

Age 4 – milk

Age 5 – chocolate milk

Age 6 – chocolate milk

Age 7 - chocolate milk

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

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

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

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

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

Best friend:  

Age 3 - Eden and Asher and Evan

Age 4 – Eden

Age 5 – Eden

Age 6 - Aleena

Age 7 - Allie

Favorite holiday:  

Age 3 - Christmas and Easter

Age 4 – my birthday

Age 5 – my birthday

Age 6 - April

Age 7 - 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

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

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

I'm proud of:  

Age 3 -??

Age 4 – Daddy

Age 5 – myself!

Age 6 - mommy and daddy

Age 7 - building Lego sets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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