Oh, Texass

When my mom was helping Mac and me pack all our belongings to move to Austin, she couldn't resist labeling some of the boxes as Texass bound.  She didn't want us to leave Montana.

With my pollen-swollen head and a flea infested work place, I have been feeling rather deep in the heart of Texass lately.  Once upon a time, I used to console my homesick self with the fact that at least we don't have forest fires here...but apparently, sadly, we do.

Well, it's still a great place to be (we have great friends who make it so!), and I know I have a ton to be thankful for, so here's a start...

Today I am thankful for...
1.  the most rested state I have felt in a while (due to...)
2.  a day off (kind of) to clean my house...even if the price to pay was a couple hundred flea bites.
3.  the fact that no one was injured in last week's fire.
4.  a whole day to spend with sweet Miss Maya Juniper--she was so lovey today.

5.  a crock pot meal (if you try this recipe, you can ask me for the tweaks)

Yesterday didn't feel much like Easter in a lot of ways, but I am thankful that even when you take traditions and family gatherings and whatever all else away (cough Robin's Eggs cough), it still means all of life to me.  He is risen indeed.  

For fun, here's a little Easter video where Mac's backside (oh, and our church too) made the news.  Can you find him? 

Gratitude Project

This morning was rough.  As in tuff.  I was so exhausted that I fell asleep drinking my coffee and spilled it down my arm and couch.  I felt like crying thinking of spending another 40 hours on my heinie doing things I largely don't understand that don't really stir my heart.  A good day for some gratitude, don't you think? 

Today I am thankful for...

1.  A boss I truly like and his wife who definitely ups my laughter quotient every time I get to hang out with her.

2.  The cookie that somebody dropped off at work that I didn't mean to eat.  Oh well.

3.  Coffee, oh coffee.  Even when you spill on my arm and couch.

4.  Quiet time and the One who waits to meet me there.

5.  The big risks my sweet husband and I took to get to each other and...

The decision we made 2 years ago today to love each other for the rest of our lives.  It's our anniversary!  I'm not good at decisions but I made a good one that day.

Sadly, our wedding photos didn't transfer to my new computer, so you'll have to suffer through this mushy one from the day we were engaged.  Kissing photos (of people you know) are always so awkward, right?

Because I think my husband deserves 5 all his own...

Today I am extra thankful for...

1.  The way we can be sitting silently in front of the tv and suddenly burst out laughing at the same dumb thing (i.e. "Hi, my name's Henry Winkler.")

2.  My husband who still holds my hand and wraps his arm around me when we walk.

3.  What turned out to be a grreat anniversary day--with a dog walk, my favorite!

4.  My husband's singing:  in earnest, in jest, in shower, no matter

5.  I will save this one for a post later this week!

Same day, slightly less sappy/mushy.

Play It Loud Friday

The post in which I confess to you what I listened to on my Friday evening commute and conjure up a funny story from the week that was.

Today I had my blood drawn by a man that nicknamed me dimples.  He also asked me what kind of steroids I was on because he had seen body builders with smaller veins than mine.  He cautioned me never to fall and cut myself on that 'water hose' because I would bleed for weeks.  All of this he said while I clenched tightly to a nerf ball.  Not that you need it...but it's procedure.  Before I could even feel a needle, he had collected my blood and stopped up my wound with a cotton ball and a strip of masking tape.  You can let go now, he said to my hand, still clutching the ball.  Something tells me somebody doesn't like needles.  See you later, dimples.

I love people who are good at what they do.  I think this might be a recurring theme here.  Don't worry, New Order will not be.  I don't even know what that song is about, but from now on whenever I hear it (which isn't often), I'm just going to think of a woman in a litter box. 

Gratitude Project

 Sunday evenings and Monday mornings just might be the hardest.  So...in keeping with this post, I'm starting a new project:

today I am thankful for...

1)  birds that sing

2)  my friend Charlie who looks like Gregory Peck and teaches me about mockingbirds

3)  my husband's hugs

4)  friends to talk with

5)  a soft bed to sleep (or in the case of last night, lay awake) in

And because it's a special day...an extra one!

6)  My Dad!

Deep Thoughts (#2)

When your next step looks like a step backward...it's difficult to know if it's the right one.

(Deep Thoughts #1...ish)

When I Grow Up, I Want To Paint Like Charley

New York Harbor, 1947 giclee print by Charley Harper

Peanut Butter Week

We have been celebrating peanut butter week at our house, in honor of Mac's birthday. I always appreciate it when other people try a recipe and tell me how it turned out, so I thought I'd share these, both from Epicurious. I usually don't stray much from recipes, but I made a few changes on both of these and was pretty pleased with the results.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies

First of all, if you have known me for a while, you will know that I have long been obsessed with the peanut butter oatmeal m&m cookies at Food for Thought in Missoula, Montana. They used to have a location called Second Thought over by my apartment and when I was in college, there were weeks when I would stop by every day on my walk home and pay $1.25 for a cookie the size of my face...which might explain the freshman 15...30...40. Anyway, I am happy to tell you that 1) I don't do that anymore (for one thing that location closed, and for another I moved, and for still another I, believe it or not, have healthier eating habits than I did back then)... and 2) This recipe is the closest thing I've ever found to my original obsession.

 Ingredients for my version

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (pretty sure I've used dark)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 12-ounce bag m&m's

In a food processor (or blender with a sharp blade!) pulse 1 cup of the oats until ground fine. In a large bowl stir together ground oats, remaining 1/2 cup whole oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla and peanut butter. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and gradually beat in flour mixture. Add m&m's, stirring just until combined. Chill cookie dough, covered, at least 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 325°F.  Bake on ungreased baking sheets about 15 minutes, or until just pale golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Comments:  This recipe is really pretty perfect as is, but because I'm on a mission to duplicate the ones from my hometown...I'm going to keep playing with the proportions.  Perhaps increase the pb a bit and decrease the butter.  I also think I might try not grinding up the oats, but leaving them all whole.  I'll let you know if I stumble upon something magical (and please do the same)!

Next up, Peanut Butter Cake

Actually, on Epicurious, this is Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, but lots of reviewers said the chocolate, peanut butter and cream cheese frosting combo was a bit much, and anyway, Mac's not a huge chocolate fan unless it's Reese's (which you'll notice I substituted for the Butterfingers the recipe calls for).  So...I kind of changed this one a lot.  Instead of the chocolate filling which requires you to start one day ahead (I had about 4 hours), I made my own peanut butter cream cheese filling (which I kind of wish I would've used for the top and sides of the cake too, because it was yummy!).  Here goes...

Ingredients for my version

 Cake

• 2 1/4-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar (they suggest light; I used some light, some dark)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 packages cream cheese (8 oz), room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (for filling; if you want to try it for all the frosting, use more!)

Cake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. In large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Mine was longer because I used an extra deep pan and cut the layers later...not recommended for this recipe). Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Frosting and Filling. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. I honestly don't know if I used that much powdered sugar, I just kept adding it til it tasted right and seemed the right texture. Set aside enough frosting for the top and sides, and leave about 3/4 cup for the filling. Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter and powdered sugar to taste.  I chilled both frosting and filling until cakes were cooled and ready, but if you had made the cakes ahead of time and they were already cool, I don't think you'd need to. Frost layers, chop up a few Reese's peanut butter cups for the top, and have a birthday party!

Comments:  My cake sunk in the middle, A LOT.  That's why you might notice some piecing together at the bottom center of that slice of cake.  Other than that, though, the layers of this cake held together (and are still holding!) very nicely.  I think the sinking might have had to do with my gigantically deep pan, and the rest of the cake cooking before the center had finished.  In order to get the center cooked all the way, I ended up overbaking, so beware of that.  Even with a little overbaked-ness, it was still pretty darn good!  As far as the cream cheese frosting, I don't know if I liked this one as much as others I've made, so if you have a favorite cream cheese frosting recipe already, I'd use that.