52 hike challenge (#6)

I thought our high wind warning was over at 11am, so I waited until after lunch to go for my walk/hike. OMG, there were times when I could barely stand upright! When I got back home I double checked and realized it was still in effect until 11 PM! D'oh! Well, that explains it! Per the National Weather Service, we've been having 40-50mph winds, with gusts up to 75mph! But despite the windy conditions, it still felt good to get out there and get some fresh, sunny air.

It's hard to get a selfie with my walking buddy, Doug the dog. 

Holy mud, batman!

Doug loves the creek at the halfway point!

Doug also loves the neighbor's animals. They do not love him. 

Short sleeves! In February!!!

And here are two goofy little videos to try to give you a sense of how windy it was:

52 hike challenge
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

Next Level Krispie Treats (#12 TYSC)

Next Level Krispie Treats
#12 of the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
Bars chapter

I love Rice Krispie Treats. Love, love, love. I've perfected the marshmallow to cereal ratio over the years, I can make these from scratch (probably while blindfolded), and I've also created a modification to include peanut butter and to substitute cheerios, making a really "healthy" and "wholesome" variation.

Yes, if you want a combo of marshmallows and cereal, I'm your girl.

So when I saw a recipe titled "next level" krispie treats, I was hooked! What could possibly bring this recipe any higher in esteem? How can one possibly improve upon perfection? What could the new technique or secret ingredient possibly be?

I quickly skimmed the recipe and my eyes befell the culprit:

white chocolate chips

(Gag.)

I know I've previously confessed my love of chocolate to you. Perhaps even mentioning it more than once. But have I ever confessed my absolute abhorrence all things white chocolate? It seems a travesty to even call it "chocolate" since it's basically the fat that's removed when you make REAL chocolate, plus some sugar and some additional milk fat. Blech.

Somehow I managed to end up in a household where my kid and my husband love this mockery of a chocolate, so I try to throw them a bone sometimes and bake something with white chocolate periodically. (Read: annually, at best) I figured it was probably time to throw them that bone again, plus I eventually want to bake everything in this book, plus we always tell Rose that "tastes can change!"

So I tried to keep an open mind...

Verdict: Well, it's a good thing I love Rice Krispie treats, because the marshmallows and cereal in this recipe can ALMOST overpower the white chocolate flavor. Then again, it is hypothetically possible that if I didn't KNOW there were "travesty chips" in here, they may have been the je ne sais quoi that the author describes. I guess we'll never know.

But on the plus side, Rose did call these the best Rice Krispie treat she had ever tasted, so I suppose that's a win.

52 hike challenge (#5)

I had such a good time hiking with Rose last weekend that I invited her along on today's hike. I really had NO expectation that she would even consider saying yes, but she did! So we packed up our supplies (tic tacs for her, cheese for Doug) and hit the road!

Here we are the the very start of our hike:

Here we are still having fun at the halfway point:

And just past the halfway point, the tides abruptly shifted- for one of the three of us. I'll give you three guesses as to who stopped having fun on this walk, and the first two don't count.

The second half of the walk was EXHAUSTING. I had to use every trick in my parenting repertoire to keep this kid going. It was pure torture. And it certainly didn't help when the kid who is terrified of cows and goats saw a cow up ahead that had escaped its pen.

We made it home eventually, some of us exhausted more mentally than physically! Now it's time for some Legos (for her) and some tea and a good book (for me) so we can each recover. Sigh.

52 hike challenge
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

Bluebarb Lime Crumble (#11 TYSC)

Bluebarb Lime Crumble
#11 of the Treat Yo Self Challenge
Pie Chapter

This is another of Mike's selections, and by now you're probably recognizing a theme that he picks fruit-based recipes...preferably including blueberries. He's definitely had his eye on this one for awhile. We had a huge bag of rhubarb left in the freezer from last summer, but I didn't think we'd be able to get a good price on blueberries until the summer. Then, lo and behold, he got a surprisingly good deal on blueberries (organic, no less!) at the grocer this week, so this recipe quickly moved to the top of the queue!

I've never had blueberries, rhubarb, and lime together, so even I (the consummate chocoholic) was looking forward to this one. And as a bonus, I actually got to use two recipes for this one, because it includes "My Favorite Pie Crust" as the, well, pie crust.  The foundation of this pie crust recipe is basically the same as MY favorite recipe, but it also includes a few weird add-ins (baking powder? red wine vinegar?) and uses the dreaded Cuisinart. (More on my verdict later, but perhaps you've sensed my foreshadowing of displeasure?) The filling, however, looked amazing as I poured it into the pie crust, and I was excited to try a new crumble recipe. (My standard crumble includes oats and brown sugar - as well as the usual flour and butter - but this one just has butter, sugar, and flour.)

A couple hours later, this beauty came out of the oven:

And another couple hours after that (there is no torture greater than waiting for fruit pie to cool), it was finally set enough to slice and eat.

Verdict:  Ladies and gentlemen, we have another winner! I will now look forward to combining blueberry, rhubarb and lime at any opportunity in the future. The only change I'll make next time is going back to MY favorite pie crust recipe, or at least making it by hand instead of in the stupid food processor. I really didn't like to assemble my crust without the tactile feedback. I'm undecided on whether I want try her weird crust add-ins next time, but at least I now have an excellent new filling to add to my pie repertoire.  I'll look forward to making this again when rhubarb and blueberries are in season locally!

Banana Bread (#10 TYSC)

The Only Banana Bread You'll Ever Need
#10 in the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
Counter Cakes chapter

Once a month or so we drive to Helena for a Costco run, among other errands. While I love this excursion, I do have to carefully plan my weekend baking around this. (For example, no sourdough on Costco days!)  Since today was our planned Costco/Helena day, I knew I had to get any breakfast baking done early. So last night I planned an easy one: banana bread. Not only is it one of my favorites, but it would also get rid of the overripe bananas on our counter.

I was a little apprehensive about this recipe because, as much as I love banana bread, I usually like it with some add-ins. Like banana chocolate chip bread. Or banana bread with cranberries and walnuts. But when you have a title like "the only banana bread you'll ever need" I figured I should follow the recipe exactly before modifying it.

I suppose you can see that didn't follow the recipe exactly. As I mentioned, this was our Costco run day. Since I slept in (until 6:30!) I had to use our mini loaf pans, else it never would have finished baking by the time we had to leave! Luckily the mini loaf pans generally get things done in about half the time, and we were all happy to eat our personal loaves in the car.

Verdict:  I usually differentiate easy cakes (like bundt pan varietals) from quick breads (like banana breads) because "breads" tend to be less sweet than "cakes," at least to me. I would have named this banana bread as banana cake instead, which now helps me understand why it was listed in the "counter cakes" chapter! We all enjoyed this, but it definitely felt decadent so early in the morning. If I make it again (which I probably will, because I really enjoyed the strong banana flavor), I'll probably leave off the crusty sugar layer on top and would also add some diced walnuts to give it a little protein-y staying power. Bottom line is that I liked it, any it's likely only one iteration away from truly being the only banana bread I'll ever need!

Buckeye Bars (#9 TYSC)

Buckeye Bars

#9 of the treat yo self challenge

Bars chapter

Is there any better dessert flavor combo than chocolate and peanut butter? (Spoiler alert! The answer is NO!) I adore Reese's peanut butter cups, especially the holiday editions (Christmas trees, Easter bunnies, etc) that don't have that icky ridge of chocolate around the circumference, and instead just have the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter throughout. When I was in grad school I used to melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave and eat it with a spoon from a mug. I still have dreams about the "chocolate peanut butter revel" ice cream served by my college haunt, Hogan Bros in Northfield, MN. 

So, yeah. Chocolate and peanut butter is kind of my thing.

On this Friday night after a long week at work, I was craving some baking time to relax and transition to the weekend. It had to be an easy recipe, a quick in-and-out of the kitchen. I perused my book while Mike put the finishing touches on dinner....and then I saw it...JACKPOT.

There was no photo with this one, so I forgive you if you aren't already familiar with the wonder that is a Buckeye Ball. Or Buckeye Candy. Or just Buckeyes. Apparently names vary, but the deliciousness is constant.

Usually they are individually shaped, which I think makes them way too futzy for a Friday night. So the idea of a Buckeye BAR sounded perfect. And less than 20 min later, I was in heaven.

Verdict:  "Heaven...I'm in heaven..." https://youtu.be/WOYzFKizikU  I restrained myself and only ate one last night, but I don't see this little pan lasting long! It's like the best Reese's you could possibly imagine, no joke. YUM.

52 hike challenge (#4)

What a treat - I had company on my hike today!  I mean, more company than just Doug the dog, my standard hiking companion.  

Rose wanted to see if her friend in the neighborhood was interested in a play date, so she accompanied me on my hike. I like to go counter clockwise on my neighborhood loop, so she was a trooper and did about 3.75 miles (of 4.5). I dropped her off, and then did just that final part alone (with Doug).

Today was the first day above freezing in weeks, and the first day above zero in over a week. I had forgotten how "warm" 40 can feel! It was lovely. 

This is where the neighborhood T Rex lives

So many missing teeth! :)

52 hike challenge
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