'tis the season...

  
Got this from Cakewrecks, but it's a creation of the a-MA-zing people at Highland Bakery in Atlanta, GA.

I am posting this because it's slightly biological (marine theme is always near and dear to my heart) and it's incredible and might inspire folks to try something OUT there (or even just get a piping bag for cookie decorating) for the holidays. =)

Mostly, though, it's just freaking cool.

 

Check out the (amazingly realistic) octopus gluing on shell roof tiles with a piping bag. WOW!

Not your ordinary gingerbread house, eh?

Am in the field next week so may post little or none. However, have had NO GUESSES so far re: the photo quiz. Anyone? Anyone? =)

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Frankencookies!

 
Poor creatures. They try to fit in. But they don't:

Frankenbunny

Frankenchick

Frankensquirrel

can you spot the frankencookies?

Spackled by icing, they blend in BETTER, but not perfectly.

Their friends know.

However, let us not forget that even those individuals who look perfect and seem to lead a charmed life may have their own issues to deal with.

Whether we see evidence of it, or not.

Luctor et emergo.

=)

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loving the little things: tiny wells of happiness

  
Don't know what the deal is, but being very zen and digging things in-the-moment, yesterday and today.

Yesterday I made gingerbread cookie dough and for some reason was really loving it.

First, I thought about how amazing it is to open a fresh container of ground ginger: so beautiful, smells so amazing, is from India and China, so SUPER exotic (if you stop and think about it), and here it is in my humble cupboard, waiting. Imagine if you had travel to INDIA to get ginger, for heaven's sake!

And how gorgeous is this? Amazing rich, warm color, incredible scent, and together, the ginger and cinnamon add SUCH excitement and depth to food.

Then, I was rapt, watching the swirling molasses ripple onto the surface of the batter. The higher you hold the cup, the finer the lacy design they make. Hypnotic.

Next, you finely grate and add lemon rind. Again: gorgous! And such a clean, invigorating scent.

At last you blend everything together, then divide the dough into 2 and wrap them. Normally you let it rest 2-8 hours, but I was tired so shoved them in the fridge, and took them out this morning.

The texture of these KILLS me, and I love that deep, chocolate brown. I want to pat and squeeze them all day. Honk honk! (I'm a texture freak, FYI)
 
And, while puttering around in the garden this a.m., I practically trip on a zucchini, and as I bend down to pick it, I get this color hit. Intense, very different colors, in a very small area. GORGEOUS, yummy little visual gift.

I'll take it!

LOVING this living thing. =)

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our little physics lesson for the day: a la rhubarb pie...

 
If you think the 2 rhubarb pies you are baking are done, begin to slide rack towards you (with pies filled with boiling custard...) and rack TIPS down of its own accord, the molten pies then start SPEEDING toward you, and you leap out of the way to watch them FLING onto the linoleum (upside down, of course), their contents SHOOTING out across the floor to within inches of the opposite wall...

What you might learn is that the teeny, tiny, painstakenly chopped pieces of rhubarb can slide up to 6.5 feet FURTHER across the floor than the pie plate. Substantially further than all of the custard.

This, at least, is what we learned about mechanical physics today.

And, you?

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P.S. Good news is, though, that I have ended the day with grass stains on my pants (meaning I got outside and played). Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes would approve, though my wardrobe does not.

More Mount Rainier National Park: snippets of Sunrise

    
For those of you who don't know, Sunrise is an area of Mount Rainier NP that's east of the mountain peak, and is much drier than Paradise (which is south of the peak and 4 of 5 pictures on Mumday).

I

Love

Sunrise. 

Scariest part of my day/week/month: walking the snowy part of the trail above. Walking slowly, carefully on previous passers paw-prints praying precarious position prevails. Made it past and determined that we NEVER had to go back that way (gravity pulling me DOWN vs. slowing-my-up would be even scarier) and suddenly my mood was MUCH better.

I'm a snow-weenie. I attribute it to early formative years being in San Diego. Saltwater I'm not afraid of. =)

Well, snow I'm not afraid of. Slipping OFF of snow down super-steep-slope-which-plummets-100s-(1000s?)-of-feet-below-me-with-no-ice-axe-or-other-thing-to-grab-hold-so-I-die scares me.

I made it! Oh, and the view back is cool, too.

Frozen Lake is just visible just downslope from the furthest point of the trail, to the right of the brightest snow blob (that's technical talk).

 Looking west. (still celebrating the fact that I didn't fall =) )

Looking south(ish).

Alright. I am alive, grateful, and ready to continue forward...

Tiny bit more up before...the view...

Oh! Check out the scale: TEENY tiny people.

Herein lies the joy of this trail: you feel SO CLOSE to the mountain. It's so amazing. Great views everywhere, but THIS experience is a major motivator for THIS hike.

pretty alpine posies

lunch view, Part I. Tiny, beautiful plants abound.

lunch view, Part II

(yes, there is a story there, which I'll expand upon later)

So, out of web-space re: pics, so until I clear that, I'll just show you this one, a delightful caloric wallop after all that hiking. =)

Pastry I made which required a "butter packet"

FYI, anything requiring a butter packet is going to be good, even if slightly burnt.

Heavenly trip.

Whattapark.


(sigh)


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