Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

This One Might Be Your Last

I know everyone says this about the place that they live or where they grew up...but honestly, there is NOTHING like a Wyoming sunset.

I jetted home last weekend to celebrate the first Thanksgiving for our little family...in our new family home!

The moment I arrived...I saw this.
Gingerbread cookies...

My mom made my Mimi's pecan pie recipe...

And her grandmother's apple pie!
Holy moly!

Wynnie was there...
Maniac.

I tried to make bread.
It was a dreadful failure...
No consideration was given to the altitude difference between Wyoming and Colorado.
It's significant, apparently!

Mom was thrilled to pull out the leaves on her dining room table for her guests!

And when the table was finally all set with her beautiful dishes...

She set to work opening the champagne.
We had to toast to this fine occasion.


It's sort of a family tradish to get a little tight on Mimosas...it's what we do!

For some reason, cooked turkeys always look vulgar to me.

The spread was unbelievable.
All my faves!
The dressing was incredible!

Bill and Billy came into Glenrock to eat with us...
They had two other dinners to go to - I felt sort of sorry for them!

Mom's friend Donna dropped by too...
And in an unusual turn of events, we dismissed our lady like behavior and ate in front of her!

I'm a mashed potatoes and gravy kind of girl.

But I love candied yams!

RELATED.

Like a total slob, I cleaned my plate and then found a corner of the couch to groan in until I made room for more.

The next day, we trimmed the tree.

I'm very fond of this tradition because so much of what makes up our family tree are things that we've been using since I was a wee munchie.

For instance, this weird Santa ornament...
It was made from a dried apple or something and now it's turned black and it's revolting.
I made sure not to hang it too close to the floor in case Wynnie got a hold of it.

After we finished with the tree, we took a walk.

The wind in Wyoming is brutish and unrelenting.

It throws things everywhere.

If you don't secure everything, you might find your belongings strewn about!

BFFs.

More and more, I'm loving Glenrock.
There's a humble vein of integrity that you can feel pounding in the ground and in the air.

Sigh...

Home of the Herders.

Sexy air freshener.


Criminy.

Double criminy!





Later, we lit up the tree...

the nativity scene...

and turned on the lights we hung outside.

Mom was ecstatic...and when my Momma is happy...I'm happy!

We tortured Wynnie...

And I had some pie.

Couldn't be better than that, my lovelies...not by a long shot.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

It's A Race, A Race For Rats, A Race For Rats To Die

Lately, the weekends are all that I look forward to.
I spend my time really playing up my domestic side.
I'm blocking the world out...with baking.

This is the New York Times Speedy No-Knead Bread recipe.

You should make it!
It's crazy easy and there's NOTHING like a loaf of fresh, warm bread sitting on your counter all day long!
Seriously, in this picture, you can see where I HAD to slice some of the end off because I couldn't wait to eat it...

I did a little running around, but I always find that my heart is at home.

I've been knitting...

And have picked up some books recently and am excited about holing up and reading them...
Sadly, I am currently reading like 7 books - it will take some time to get it together.

Embroidery is pretty awesome too!
It's patient work and nobody needs a lesson in patience more than me.

For my bread, I made this AMAZING tomato concoction!
It's tomatoes (grated), garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper...
I made mine so garlicky that it gave me a headache, but it was so good...I couldn't help but eat it all. (Email me or leave a message in the comments if you want the real deal recipe.)

It's been like spring here...again...

I'm not really into it.

But I'm trying to take each day as it comes and try not to think too much about snow days and crock pot cooking.

I shouldn't have even been wearing a sweater on Sunday.
My friend Carrie says, "It's better in a sweater" and it's something I wholeheartedly agree with.

I did brunch with Meg and we caught up...
She and her husband Chris are buying a house! Send them good vibes!

Sometimes it's hard to summon the energy to get up and be a part of something - the city, your friends, the world, your family...
But I find that if you try - it's surprisingly easier than you'd imagined and makes you feel better.
You don't have to shine alone.