Day 8: Denver

We hit some pretty strong storms on our way into Denver. After a bit of a white knuckle drive we made it to the hotel. The hotel is gorgeous and we immediately took advantage of the shower and the balcony. We called it a night since we'd already been up for 20 hours.

Thursday morning we slept in and then headed out on foot to explore Denver a bit. Our first stop was a restaurant called Racines for lunch. The food was so good and we got more than enough. Tim ordered the cheese and onion enchilada plate and I had chicken stuffed with ham and fontina and covered in a jalapeno cream sauce. Then we walked through downtown to see the 16th Ave Mall and take a tour of Coors Field. The Field was awesome!

Afterwards we were going to check out the US Mint but missed the tours since they apparently close at 130 pm. So instead we stopped at the yard house for happy hour. The plan was to have a beer or two and then head back to the hotel. That plan was foiled by a powerful thunderstorm. So we stayed, had a few more beers, and some nachos and chicken wings instead. We made it back to the hotel around 630 pm and lounged around watching tv.

I fell asleep early but Tim stayed up a bit. We got up this morning, got breakfast and hit the road for Omaha.

Day 7: Leaving Grand Canyon

Waking up at 430 am to see the sunrise this morning was so worth it. Thankfully the tent held her own last night and we had no leaks. We walked about 45 minutes to the rim of the Canyon to find a good vantage point for the sunrise. There were few people around and the quiet was amazing. Unfortunately the clouds did not cooperate so much of the sunrise was blocked. But, to make up for this, mother nature let us run into 4 elk. 3 females (cows) we saw on the walk to the Canyon, just at the entrance to the campground. Then we saw a male (bull) on our way back. It was so cool! I've got pictures on my camera but not on my phone.

We packed up camp and got ready to hit the road, but not before a crow came along and ate our Franz bread right through the packaging! Bastard. And this wasn't any ordinary crow, oh no. This was a crow on steroids! He was huge!

On the road again we're making our way across Arizona to Four Corners Monument and then on to Denver tonight.

Day 6: To the Grand Canyon

We packed up and left the hotel by 8am this morning. Getting out of Vegas at that hour was fairly easy. We were excited to be heading over the Hoover Dam, but the new bridge is built such that you can't see the dam from a smaller vehicle. So that was a bust. And I was a little surprised to see that the water at Lake Mead is just as low as it was last time I was in Vegas. Hopefully the snow melt will keep helping that.

In Kingman, AZ we gassed up the car and grabbed breakfast at Sonic. Then decided to also get a Sonic Blast for the car ride. The weather in Kingman was really nice and cool compared to Vegas.

We were on the road towards the Grand Canyon by 10am again.
Once we got to the park we located our campsite. Unfortunately it started raining as soon as we parked. So we had to work fast to set up the tent and then ended up spending almost an hour in there with little to do. Finally the rain let up and we were able to make plans for the day. We grabbed the map and some water and headed for the visitors center and the rim trails.

The first views of the Canyon were spectacular. We walked along about 2 or 3 miles of trail near the edge of the Canyon. There are tons of educational markers too so we learned all about the rocks and the formation of the Canyon as we see it today.

For dinner we went to the Maswik Lodge which has a small pizza pub. There's a fire ban in the park and we wanted a hot meal, so a restaurant was our best bet. Plus we were both craving pizza. Then we stopped at the general store to get a few beers and went back to our campsite. We headed into the tent again because the rain had started back up.

And with that our day at the Grand Canyon came to a close. We had decided to get up at 430 am to see the sunrise so we fell asleep early.

Day 5: Viva Las Vegas!

Tim and I woke up a little later yesterday morning and got ready to hit the strip. A leisurely walk up to Paris rewarded us with crepes for breakfast. Then we kept moving up the strip checking out the various hotels. Tim's favorite is by far Caesar's and he's already vowed that we'll stay there next time.

We managed to catch the first fountain show at the Bellagio at noon. It was patriotic themed for the holiday. We also won a few bucks here and there on slots. I love the fishy games!!!

In pure Vegas fashion we each got drinks. Tim tackled 2 beers while I purchased an obnoxiously large glass of blueberry lemonade with double shot of vodka. After all that alcohol it was definitely time for lunch. We had noodles from an asian restaurant by the sports book in the Venetian.

A bit more walking and a bit more gambling and we headed off the strip a block for dinner at Battista's. It's a little hole in the wall place but it's good food, good atmosphere, and house wine is included. With our bellies full we practically ran (bad idea after all that food) to Treasure Island to see the Sirens show. Then back towards the Mirage to see the volcano erupt.

We had plans to meet up with Tim's aunt and uncle again but the pedestrian traffic on the strip was insane and it took us almost an hour to get back to the hotel. So we called it a night, did our last bit of gambling (and lost), packed up the room and went to sleep.

We're up early this morning to make our way to the Grand Canyon for our last camping night.

Day 4: To Las Vegas

We managed to get up at the crack of dawn, prepare a good breakfast and get on the road for the 7 hour trek to Las Vegas. First we hit Reno which was pretty much the only other city in Nevada until Vegas. We traveled along the border on US 95 all day. It was an extremely long and boring drive. The car registered 105 degrees at the hottest point. The entire drive was full of rocks and desert and ridiculous little mining towns.

We finally hit Vegas at about 4pm. Immediately we checked into the hotel and took the first showers we had had in more than 2 days. Then we got dressed in clothes that hadn't smelled a campfire and met up with Tim's aunt and uncle who took us down to Fremont Street. We had a great time checking out the sights including the light show, the bands, and the various performers. Overall not a bad first evening in Vegas.

Once we got back to the Luxor we were beat and hit the pillow. Today is going to be filled with walking the strip, seeing the fountains, the volcano, etc. And maybe we'll get lucky at the tables.

Day 3: Leaving Oregon

After we lost the battle with the mosquitoes and hit the hay early last night, we woke bright and early this morning to start the long drive out of Oregon. I managed to start a decent fire and get some coffee going before Tim got up. Then he took over the fire tending and we had toast, cream of wheat, and hard boiled eggs for breakfast. We broke down the campsite and we on the road by 8am.

We crossed the border in California and stopped in Susanville to grab a late lunch and gas up the car. Within an hour we had made it to Frenchman Lake and were setting up camp. The weather was a bright and sunny 91 degrees so we put on our swimsuits, slathered on the sunscreen and walked roughly a mile to the water. The water is a pristine blue and the sage brush and red rocks surrounding the shoreline make for a beautiful picture. We followed a small, winding trail and found a rocky inlet to the water. After a quick pep-talk we took the plunge into the icy water. It was well received by both of us since we were hot and sweaty from the walk. A bit later we headed back up the trail and towards camp. On the way we spotted a few lizards and what Tim identified as a ground squirrel (I named him Jacob). Back at the campsite we gathered wood and made a nice fire to cook dinner: hotdogs and toasted cheese sandwiches. It was delicious! Complete that with a few drinks, some chips, and puppy chow and s'mores for dessert. It's been one heck of a day.

We're off to bed early again to hit the road to Las Vegas in the morning!

Day 2: Crater Lake

We woke up this morning after a restful night sleep in a glorious bed. We had a nice hot meal at our hotel and ran to target for a few odds and ends including hot dogs, buns, and marshmallows. We got on the road a little after noon and made it to the campground at Diamond Lake right around 3pm. As we turned onto the road into the campground we were greeted by gorgeous views. A mountain rose up on the other side of the lake and was covered with snow. We settled into our campsite took a quick tour (had a celebratory drink) and got back on the trail to Crater Lake. If you've never been, you have to go! It's gorgeous and peaceful. The lake is a mirror of the sky and the colors of the water and the rocks are so intense. There's also a ton of snow this time of year that had Tim and I giggling like children. I'll leave you with the pictures to tell the rest of the story.

Back at the campsite we got a rip-roarin' fire going and roasted some hot dogs. Gourmet smores are on the menu for dessert. If we don't we get eaten by mosquitos first.

Day 1: Eugene, OR

After a great farewell breakfast with my favorite Regence peeps (thanks everyone!) Tim and I went back to the apartment and finished packing and cleaning. After a minor freak out that we wouldn't be able to fit everything in the car, we hit the road for Eugene. We were looking forward to sleeping in a real bed tonight. On the way we managed to dispense with roughly 3 Voo Doo Doughnuts. Once in Eugene we checked into the hotel and headed for the University of Oregon campus. We were immediately reminded of Madison. We spent a few hours walking around and seeing the sights we had an amazing dinner at a cute little Italian Trattoria. Then it was back to the hotel to relax and plan out tomorrow's trip. Thankfully we don't have far to go so we can take our time. I'll leave you with the pictures we took on campus.

Bare necessities

For the last 3 nights Tim and I have been "roughing" it on the floor. All we've got is our sleeping bags, sleeping pads and pillows. Its been an adjustment but we're making do. I keep waking up in the middle of the night and am not able to get back to sleep. But at least we've only got a few more nights of this. Thursday we're back to real beds at the Holiday Inn in Eugene. Yay!

Primitive baking

Although the apartment is almost bare I've been in the mood to bake. Tim and I had packed all of the baking supplies with the exception of the perishable foods, so we weren't completely without the basics. After a quick run to Goodwill we had some mixing bowls and needed to find a recipe that would work with the few items we had. Luckily I remembered that we had some Baker's chocolate in the cupboard and went to their website to see what recipes they had to offer. A quick browse returned the Santa Ana Cookies. Simple. No vanilla, no baking powder. We could do this. So I whipped the butter and sugar by hand (measuring everything with a liquid measuring cup). Brewed some coffee in our french press and set the oven to 375 degrees. The first batch didn't have enough flour and turned out a little more like a muffin than a cookie. But that's an easy fix. The second set was much more solid and cookie like. Tim says they're great with coffee or tea. I just loves the simplicity and the fact that these are truly from scrath!

Tornado Alley

Last night Tim and I went to the imax theater at OMSI to see a movie about tornadoes. It was fun to watch and reminded me of the storms back home. I really miss falling asleep to the sounds of distant thunder.

The movie also made us realize how lucky our neck of the woods is in terms of weather (wisconsin that is). Sure we get some storms and a few tornadoes. And the blizzards can be treacherous, but we've usually got decent warning. It's not the same elsewhere. I remember a few months ago there was an earthquake drill at work. I couldn't fathom the idea of an earthquake. It's something I've never had a reason to think about before. And a few weeks ago when we drove out to the coast we encountered a number of "tsunami evacuation zone" signs. Living in Wisconsin has made me a little closed minded about dangerous weather. The year I've spent on the west coast sure has changed my perspective.

Farewell to Kitties

The boys are leavin' on a jet plane in the morning. Tim and I won't get to see them for a whole month. Tomorrow will likely be a nerve-racking day but we're hoping and praying for a safe trip.

Road trip!

Tim and I spent last night preparing for our road trip home. We finally have a full itinerary and I'm pretty pumped about the drive. It'll take us a full week to get back (assuming we can survive together that long!). We've made plans to stop in Eugene, Crater Lake, Northern California, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Four Corners Monument, Denver, and Omaha.

I'm writing this blog using the blogger app for android. I figured I should document the journey and this will be the best way to guarantee connectivity.

Only 11 more working days left and we're outta here!

Oh how time flies

Has it really been since before Easter?  I can't believe how much I've been slacking on the blogging. Not that I would ever consider myself a hardcore blogger, but I thought I could do better than this.  

 It's June!

And that means only 4 more weeks in Oregon. The cats are set to hit the skyways on June 19th and will be spending their time with Grandma and Grandpa Thornewell (my mom and dad) until Tim and I get settled. The moving company is picking up our belongings on June 24th and then just 1 week with stand between us and the open road. We're planning a little roadtrip back, hitting up Crater Lake, Las Vegas, and Denver before we finally hit Boscobel.

These last 4 weeks are likely to be rough - just because my brain has completely checked out already. If I could just bust out the last few projects I could be done with this, but that's easier said than done. I kinda feel like I'm trying to study for boards again - except I can't sit outside in the park enjoying the sunshine. Boo.

Not that I need anymore sunshine. Tim and I spent Memorial Day weekend camping at the Gorge and listening to the sounds of Sasquatch. It was an amazing weekend!  So many good shows, and such good weather. We had a blast and are looking forward to getting some more use out of our tent. Of course, the nice weather means that my nose is the color of Rudolph's. Despite many SPFs I just couldn't avoid the sunburn. Oh well. At least it's early in the season so this won't mess with my wedding look just yet.

Speaking of the wedding... MY DRESS IS IN!  And I just got a letter that the bridesmaid dresses are in too!  Looks like it's time for a double visit to see both.  I'm so excited.  And nervous - what if I don't fit in my dress. This can mean only one thing - diet time. Yep, I'm back on the diet wagon again (and after a weekend of beer and bad food this is tough). Keep your fingers crossed that I am successful.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry no pictures but I'm writing this from work. Shhh, don't tell my boss!

Easter Crafts

I have to give credit for this craft to my friend Debbie. She provided the inspiration (and a link to the instructions) all I did was execute it (that seems like an odd word here). Anyhoo - the moment I saw these Easter eggs I knew I had to try and make them. They look so cute!  So I took a quick trip to Michael's and gathered my supplies:

• Styrofoam egg(s) - size and number are your preference
• Fun paper - I used scrapbook paper. I'd suggest sticking to a lighter weight paper regardless of the type you choose.
• 5/8" hole punch (I borrowed this from Debbie, the size is approximate)
• Straight pins (I used short ones but I think you could get longer ones to work too, and they might be easier to hold on to then)
• A bit of glue for the last dot

I'm not going to retype out the instructions, so head over here for a detailed account.

I could only make 1 egg a night because my thumb could not take the pain any longer than that. Next time I'm getting a thimble. I'd estimate each egg took me about an hour or so, depending on how much TV watching I did. 

For my finished project I bought a cheap ($1) basket from Target and some Easter grass ($0.25/bag). I also got a 1/8" dowel and some more paper and alphabet stickers from Michael's to make the little sign. 

 All in all I think it came out looking pretty good and was extremely inexpensive (rough estimate = $10). What do you think?

Out of the Ordinary

On a typical night dinner in the Carlson-Thornewell household consists of what we can whip together in about 30 minutes. We usually fly be the seat of our pants and work without a recipe (I know - this could be dangerous, but no mishaps just yet). Some nights though we like to take on the challenge of a new recipe.  These are those stories:



Almost 2 months ago Tim and I spent the weekend in Seattle. While there we shopped at Pike Place Market and picked up some tasty pasta (dark chocolate linguine and supreme orzo) from Pappardelle's Pasta We finally got around to trying it just last week. Pappardelle's gives you a recipe with each pasta and so after a quick stop at Safeway for some of the more obscure items (and some ketchup, ranch, etc. We were running low on condiments) we headed home to try our hand at Poached Scallops with Supreme Orzo. Now we've never made orzo before. We've never made scallops before. This could have been a huge disaster.

Tim took over cooking dinner while I worked on chocolate lava cakes for desert. He likes to help out and I try my best not to bother him with took many suggestions. He's a good learner and we've had some amazing food thanks to him (see my previous blog about homemade brownies!)

The end result?  A fantastic, fancy dinner on a otherwise normal weeknight!  The moral: don't be afraid to try something different in the kitchen!  A gourmet meal on a Wednesday might be just what you need to make it through the rest of the week.

 

Scenario #2: We've now got a bag full of scallops in our fridge that cost us quite a pretty penny... What are we going to do with them.  After some internet searching I had found a number of scallop recipes, but almost all of them were very involved and I was a little nervous about taking on the challenge. So I started up my internet search once more (utilizing the new Recipes filter from Google) and found a couple of rather simple recipes from The Food Network. I settled on one from Cat Cora for Seared Scallops over Greens Without a stainless steel or cast iron pan I couldn't get the gorgeous (and delicious) sear on the scallops like you see in a restaurant, but they were still pretty tasty and super easy to make.  Tim was worried he'd still be hungry so we added our new favorite side dish - risotto!  Here's a picture of the end result:

Last but not least: I woke up yesterday morning with a fierce hunger. So instead of the usual Saturday morning breakfast (pancakes, bacon, coffee) I decided to go above and beyond. I whipped up a quiche!  Now let me explain - I've never made a quiche before.  I'm not even sure I've ever eaten a quiche before. Come to find out, Tim LOVES quiche!  Win - win - win.  I made a few alterations:  we only had turkey bacon so I substituted that (and you can't tell the difference in the final product) and I'm not the biggest onion fan so I cut that back accordingly. Otherwise I put this together as the recipe states. So after 45 minutes in the over we greeted the morning with the following.  Oh happy Saturday.

Tim's XMen Mug pulled the picture together nicely.

So that's that. Go out and try a new recipe and let me know how it went!

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

It's late at night and suddenly you've got a serious sweet tooth - what do you do?  Bake of course!  But as you sit down to find a suitable recipe you realize you're out of a key ingredient - vanilla.  Oh no!  What will you do?!?!?  

This is the situation Tim and I found ourselves in the other night. We were both jonesin' for some sugar and had chocolate cookies on the brain. Then I remembered we were out of vanilla and had forgotten to restock while we were at the store. Not wanting to walk to Winco (or lose our parking spot) what were we supposed to do?  And then it dawned on us: we've got almond and peppermint extract - wouldn't those work just as well?  Turns out - they will!  Tim was the man in charge (no really - he did everything, I sat on the couch and read my kindle). Now we've got a delicious bag of almond chocolate chocolate chip cookies on the counter!  These are seriously amazing!  I'm thinking hazelnut or peppermint extract would be amazing here.  

So the next time you get the urge to bake and discover you're missing a few key ingredients - get creative!  What's the worst that could happen?

Counting Down the Days

As we get closer and closer to the end of my residency and the end of our time in Oregon, I'm getting more and more excited about coming home to Wisconsin.

Of course, I'll miss some things in Oregon - and there's so much I feel like we need to do and see before we make the trek back (that's a blog post all it's own). What I'm most excited about right now is Sasquatch! Tim and I decided it was worth the big bucks and will be spending the 4 days of Memorial Day weekend in George, Washington at the Gorge Amphitheater listening to some amazing music and camping. That's right - we're buying a tent and a sleeping bag for me and everything! Real honest to goodness camping. I can't wait for it to get here!

In the meantime I'm hoping we can take some day trips or weekend trips to the coast, etc before we hit the trail back to the Midwest.

Any suggestions for what should be on the Oregon/Pacific Northwest Bucket List?

Greatest Mom

My Mom is the best. She sent me flowers today - for no reason other than to let me know she was thinking of me. It's little things like that that brighten the day. Thanks Mom!

Shepherd's Pie

On St. Patrick's Day Tim and I found an Irish pub near our apartment to have a few beers and enjoy an Irish themed meal. After waiting roughly 30 minutes for a table we had prime seats to watch March Madness begin to unfold. We got some good beer and a shot of Jameson for good measure. The only problem: they were out of their "cottage pie" which is a their variation on a shepherd's pie. I was disappointed to say the least and had to settle for fish and chips (definitely not irish, although I read somewhere recently that shepherd's pie is actually an english dish, but that's not the point of this post).


I was still disappointed on Friday and Saturday so I decided to try my hand at making it myself. We had all the necessary items (veggies, meat, potatoes). After a quick google search I settled on Rachel Ray's 30 minute version because I was hungry. My only changes to her recipe would be to make sure you've got plenty of the gravy because it is delicious. If I ever made this dish again I would probably double the gravy for good measure. That, and corn is a good substitute for peas if you happen to not like peas. All and all it turned out pretty tasty (and looked gorgeous). I would definitely make this again.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes: Slainte!

For the last few days I have seen recipe after recipe for chocolate-stout (insert baked good here). I had a recipe that I'd found last year but didn't have the chance to make before St. Patty's day had come and gone. So I decided this would be the year I would try. I learned a few lessons making this recipe, hopefully they'll help you out!

1) Have the beer at room temp if possible. That way the melted butter won't solidify

2) There's no need to use an electric mixer in the beginning (or at all really) unless you have one with a deep bowl and won't make a mess. The wet ingredients are very, very wet and will cover your counters in a beery solution if you're not careful.

3) The recipe does not call for cupcake liners, but we all know life is better if you use them.

4) The recipe says to fill the cupcakes 3/4 full which seems a lot, and when you rotate the pans at 12 minutes you might be worried at the ginormous cupcake mounds in your oven. Fear not, I think something chemical happens with the beer/carbonation and they end up being perfectly normal sized cupcakes.

5) There's a recipe on Food Network for a cream cheese frosting. I was lazy and bought mine from the store - Betty Crocker's popular for a reason.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

· 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

· 2 cups sugar

· 2 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking soda

· Pinch fine salt

· 1 bottle stout beer (recommended: Guinness)

· 1 stick butter, melted

· 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

· 3 large eggs

· 3/4 cup sour cream

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.

3) In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time.

4) Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

5) Lightly grease 24 muffin tins. Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.

6) Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans.

7) Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

Home-Made Brownies

Ladies and Gentlemen - presenting Master Baker Tim!

That's right - Tim made homemade brownies all by himself last night. I didn't help at all. And let me tell you, those brownies are delicious. I'd even consider making these instead of boxed brownies. I mean, boxed brownies are amazing, but these were so chocolatey. I knowing that we made them ourselves (or Tim's self) is so awesome. I've only attempted brownies from scratch once before and it went ok. This is by far a better recipe. Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Baking Triumph

I have to give credit where credit is due. After reading the blog of my best friend (and Matron of Honor), Dessert Diva, I had an urge to make snickerdoodles. So while the fiance was at work for the day, I picked up my trusty spatula and got to work.

I've made snickerdoodles plenty of times in the past and I always encounter the same flaw: they go flat. I seem to recall that a certain aunt of mine (who may or may not read this blog - seriously, is anybody out there?!?!?) has mastered the art of the fluffy snickerdoodle, but I have yet to see that recipe. So I turned to the tried and true: AllRecipes.com

After sifting through plenty of options (hahaha, see what I did there?), I finally settled on the Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodle Recipe. It's fairly simple for a snickerdoodle recipe. I noticed that not many people had made comments regarding alterations to the recipe, so I figured it must be pretty good. (The comments on allrecipes are key to success. A recipe can be "ok" but with the comments from others you can end up with a stellar product. So pay attention to them!). I noticed that some people commented on the "flat snickerdoodle" dilemma that I've been dealing with. Huzzah! I'm not alone in my strife. Turns out this is a common complaint and some people noted that if you don't have fresh baking soda - the cookies will end up flat (btw - fresh means that if you throw a dash of the baking soda into water it fizzes immediately. If this doesn't happen, your baking soda's gone flat and so will your cookies).

I have to admit - although this recipe isn't perfect (the cookies weren't as fluffy as I imagined) it was by far the best I've ever used. These cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside and soooo chewy and delicious! Definitely give them a chance.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (room temp)
  
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs (room temp)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (or less to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. By hand - Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. By hand - Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
3. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon into a zip-lock baggie. Roll balls of dough in mixture, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake 8 minutes (this is exact). Remove immediately from baking sheets and place on wire rack to cool. Store in air tight container.

Lost Cat - Reward

Tim and I don't have kids (yet), which means that our cats, Bucky and Oliver, are our babies. While the two can be more than a handful we still love them, that is until they scare us to death.

It's Saturday. Tim and I have had a great morning: got up, made tea, went for a 3 mile run/walk, had breakfast, took showers, got dresses and ready to head down to the Chocolate Fest. As we're about to head out the door I remind Tim that we wanted to head to Ben Bridge (our jeweler of choice) to get me ring checked and we need the card for it. Tim heads back to the office to look for the card, I've got the door propped open a few inches with my foot.

It's taking Tim longer than I expected, so I shut the door and tell him we can just do it some other time and begin playing with Oliver with the laser pointer. That's when I realize Bucky isn't here playing too. Neither of these cats can resist the laser pointer. It's like kitty cocaine. So now I'm worried. We tear apart the apartment using the laser pointer and food to lure him out: No Bucky. Tim starts walking the apartment complex with his food dish and wet food: No Bucky. I'm losing it - tears streaming down my face, mascara ruined, hyperventilating. What will we do without him? What if he gets hurt? The thoughts racing through my head are endless.

I call 24petwatch because Bucky is microchipped. They start an alert and give me some advice on finding him. After setting his litter box outside I sit down at the computer to make up lost cat posters. Tim and I make one last sweep around the entire apartment complex. I'm calling Bucky's name and strumming my fingers on his food bowl. Tim is talking to neighbors and putting up posters.

We make it back to our building and I reluctantly climb the steps to our apartment. I'm defeated. I don't know what else to do. I head to our door, but instead walk past it to the steps on the back side of the building and stop at the first landing. I look out into the yard, still strumming my fingers on Bucky's food bowl. I still don't know how, but something on our neighbor's balcony caught my eye. There, behind a pile of gray logs, the exact same color as our cat, was Bucky. "Hey Buddy!" I exclaim and Tim comes running. Now the dilemma is no longer, "where's the cat" but instead "how do we get the cat?" The neighbors aren't home, the balcony is on the second floor. Bucky sees us, but is reluctant to come to the edge and hop over to us. Miraculously, one of the girls that lives in the apartment comes home and rescues Bucky from the balcony.

It took every last shred of willpower to keep myself from wanting to yell at that cat when we got him back in the house. I fed him some wet food and we snuggled a lot. I don't know what I would have done if he had been lost for good. I can't even think about it. Thankfully everyone is home safe.