to the coast and back~short and sweet!

The entire reason I needed to go to the coast was for Tim and Angel's wedding on Sept 6. I had toyed with several ideas over the years on what I wanted to create for them and ended up with this container for whatever~Unfortunately, when I sprayed it with sealer, some of the color melted off. I only hope the design lasts at least til their first anniversary. Not happy. 

These are the flowers Karla purchased. With the stipulation of 'No red' flowers. The poor guy creating the bouquet was a bit thrown by this wish and kept checking to see if the flowers he was adding were ok.

These next 3 photos are of a kiwi plant. A fuzzy kiwi grown from one of those black seeds. As you can see, it really enjoys life in Tillamook and may end up needing a yard of its own! The stem is sturdy and the vines are covered in soft brown hairs.

This photo is Karla showing off some smooth skinned kiwi-these are in her backyard. Just over her fence is a GIANT kiwi plant the neighbor has. I didn't take any pics of what you can see of it from her yard, but it is immense. The one below has been trimmed back twice this year and still reaches the top of her rec room!

The wedding was at an beautiful place called Camp Turnaround and had a few trails, a small playground, a lovely area for a campfire, as well as an open area where the wedding took place.  If you click the link, you will see more amenities of the venue. We were asked to not take photos, so I didn't. Well, I took a couple (the ones of Sean, Odger, and Bob in my FB album) and this mermaid, who was in the middle of a small pond.

On Sunday, Nicole wanted to hike the kids to the top of Multnomah Falls. I opted to remain at the bottom cuz I am a weenie. :o) I found some very pretty spots to imagine in. This pathway was inside a tree.

There were a LOT of people at the falls and I did go up and cross the bridge. It was a bit intimidating since it was full of people. I took this picture to try and get one void of spectators!

The falls snack bar has yummy nuts. I decided to purchase the cinnamon glazed cashews.

Here is a fairly good shot of the top of the falls-if you look close you can see a fence up on the edge where people can look at the water shooting down the cliff. I'm going to do this someday. Probably. I think...

This picture I took cuz from where I was sitting on a rock railing, it looked as if there was a face up there! You can see it if you just glance at it. There are two eyes and a big beard with the mouth and nose. I think the guy has a hat on....

I love fall flowers. There were mats of these strawberry vines and clumps of the white ferny flowers. Which I cannot for the life of me remember at the moment!

It was a GREAT short trip and I so do want to make sure Nicole and Karla know how awesome they were to let me in on their lives for the weekend!

A Twist on Cinnamon Twists

One of my FB friends (Alaska Bob, who not only has a site for his stunning photography, but also shares desserts to die for) posted this dessert cinnamon twists and the other day, I was feeling a need to create it. Or recreate, as the case may be! To fully follow the directions, one should probably visit Lauren's page and go that route. I, however, didn't want to keep running back and forth from the kitchen to the computer in the dining room and determined I'd not forget anything important! (I did run back and forth a few times.)

The dough I made in the bread machine was a little interesting. I wish my aged skin was as supple and willing to go back to its original elasticity. Eventually, I was able to get the stuff to the rectangle specified in the directions. Sort of. 

I am pretty sure I over drenched the twists in the butter mixture and I'd do this differently next time. I did,

however, like how mine were smaller than the ones pictured in the directions. I think they were a bit easier to handle. 

 Twists are difficult sometimes to work with because what is twisted can untwist. But, I prevailed and managed to get them on the pan.

 Because my family prefers chocolate over any other flavor, I did fill a few twists with mini chips. This is something I will adapt into these twists if I make them again.

 After raising for 30 min or so, I popped them in the oven. For much longer than the directions suggested, but ovens are all a bit different and so are the doughs one can use.

 Once they were baked, I drizzled the glaze on top and they were ready to be tried!

 And they were absolutely delicious. I must admit, however, that the chocolate ones were liked more than the plain cinnamon ones by the guys. There are still many 'plain' ones left and I made them several days ago. Jon did wonder why they were so sticky-He thought the glaze would be more akin to the stuff on a Krispy Kreme.

So, thank you Alaska Bob (Alaskan Photos ), these were a great deal of fun to make!

When You Go Postal

     When you have loved ones far away, you naturally want to share the bounty of home with them. In 2007, Tony joined the army and ended up in Iraq. I quickly learned a great many things about mailing stuff. I have sent dozens of boxes every year via the USPS to several lucky (or unlucky) recipients and thought I'd pass on my knowledge to others. This is by no means a definitive essay on mailing goodies. It is written strictly from the observations I have made. I realise others might have learned something else and I would appreciate comments pertaining to their experiences. One of the things I've tried to do when I send a box is get comments on how things shipped. Mailing and commentary works.

     One of the first things I learned is how to NOT package cookies. And what kinds of cookies to mail. Cookies are easy to make and fun to send. However, not every cookie or method works efficiently. For instance, NEVER EVER EVER seal cookies into those clever seal a meal bags. They look great until they are opened. Once the seal is broken you discover all the cookies are also broken. I was told this isn't too bad since you can add milk and have your very own home made cookie crisp cereal. I,  however, think it is sort of sad. When I send a cookie, I want them to be eaten as cookies, not crumbs! 

     The best way to package these things is to place them back to back inside a cleaned Pringle's container or plastic frosting tubs. Drop one cookie in, bottom down, next cookie goes in top down, next cookie bottom down, and so on. (so back to back isn't exactly accurate) After they stack (note: when placing them in the Pringle's containers they can slip sideways, which is a pain in the butt.) it is a good idea to seal the top with plastic and tape it and then tape the lid on. I used to just package cookies in packets of 4 wrapped with plastic wrap, but sometimes those cookies also became crumbs. It all hinged on what else I put in the box. 

      Sturdy cookies like PB, snickerdoodles, oatmeal, and other drop cookies mail the best. (No Bakes do not mail well to warm climes, nor do Oreos) Not all sugar cookies are meant to be sent. Decorated cookies (frosting) may look pretty when packaged, but they do not always look good when opened at the end. Brownies, gingerbread, sweet breads, and muffins also pack well. Sometimes you can pack these sturdier shapes alone in the box. However, when you have other objects in the box that may move during shipping (and believe me, things do move around no matter how tight you think they may be packed!), it is best to box them. I've read numerous posts about taking stuff from boxes in order to pack so the flat rates can hold more. And I've done it as well. Which resulted often in crumbs from cereals to crumbs that ended up inside the package itself! (mom, those muddy buddies...they are all over the living room floor and now I really need to get a vacuum!). It is a good idea to take the boxes, open them and add TO them. Pop Tarts boxes can actually hold more tarts than packaged and they are good for sending wrapped square treats in. When sending the square treats, also place them back to back before wrapping them. If you want to send brownies and slap in some frosting between the layers, that works very well! For those small VHS sized flat rates, slabs of sturdy sheet cakes, gingerbread, and brownies are GREAT things to mail. Just wrap in double layers and fill the box.

     Filler items for packages are always fun to send. Socks were a bonus for military boxes-much easier to wear and toss instead of trying to wash socks covered in you name it, but don't cuz that is really gross! Halloween candy is a fun way to fill boxes. Be aware, however, that if you mail a box to a warm area overseas, the candy may melt. (fruit snacks also can melt) Any smallish sorts of treats make awesome fillers. In some posts you may see using popcorn as a filler. Popped popcorn. I didn't do this for two reasons. 1-everything in the box and around the box and near the box smells of popcorn (not always a bad thing, but still) and 2-stale popcorn is nasty. With the advent of microwaves, microwave popcorn is better to send. Since the singles are somewhat sturdy, they are good to place on the edges of boxes.
    Cakes. Everyone always wants to send cake. First, you can bake cakes in jars (glass isn't a good idea to send thru the mail unless wrapped very well in bubble wrap) or metal containers. Be aware of mold issues. Sending a moist treat to a warm climate can result in incredible scientific experiments. I know others have mailed cakes before. Me, I go with the store bought angel cake that fits perfectly in a large flat rate box and comes in its own packaging. You can stuff an amazing amount of things around and on top of this odd shape. (single serving juice packets, small Lego kits, stuffed animals, gum, decks of cards, squeezable frosting and jelly--overseas, jelly was a win!--and so on).
    When you get your package together, close it and shake it. Open it again and see what shifted and adjust accordingly. Do NOT work on making it look pretty. Make it secure. If you want pretty, send a plastic plate and let the recipient set the treats on it after the box arrives.  Shredded paper, plastic grocery bags, and crumpled comics are awesome ways to  help secure contents. Bubble wrap is always good and provides additional entertainment in many forms. Aforementioned socks and underwear work well, too. (remember to add a note in the top of the box mentioning underclothing as boxes are often opened up in groups of excited people and Hello Kitty panties might prove embarrassing.--especially since said Kitty is actually a girl, but I digress)
   On the fabric. Many of us have sealed foodstuffs in plastic bags, but this can also be done with fabric. I recently managed to get a double layered full size fleece blanket inside a large flat rate box...along with a XXXL bag of m&ms and packages of almonds. (this also is handy for packing stuff in luggage or boxes to move) Put item in plastic grocery bag and squish out the air, when small enough, seal firmly and send it off!
   I believe I've rambled on long enough. Hope some of it helps you as you compile stuff to send off to your family, friends, and favorites. Now, it is your turn. What worked and didn't work for you?

Back to the regular Posts! Brownie Cups~

I was thinking about making brownies, but those are so normal. I have a super amazing yummy decadent recipe for Extreme Cookie Do Brownies that is a huge hit no matter when I make them..so, I thought I'd make them again. BUT, I wanted to make them single serving size. I wondered if I could make cupcake brownies and add the toppings. So, I tried it. Making brownie cupcakes is pretty simple. You just need to make sure you don't over fill the cupcake cups. Since I did, I remembered a cool contraption one of my friends got me called a cupcake corer. I hollowed out the brownie circles, cut part of the core in half to squish inside the bottom of the brownie cupcake. Then, I took a generous dollop of the cookie do mix (eggless, so you can eat it and eat it and eat it...) and pressed it inside. 

 After letting the stuff set up properly, I added the melted chocolate chip 'frosting'. I dropped it on top and spread it out over the top of the confection. I kept them in the paper cups because I anticipated it might be easier to assemble the different layers. I was right! I also placed them inside a cool cupcake tin to help keep them set up when I was coring the treats.

 I shared them with some friends and this young man helped show off the layers inside a bite. (I'm also a strong advocate for sprinkles. Sprinkles make everything more fun!) I think they are as yummy as the brownie itself (I always double my recipe to make a LARGE pan of them), but they did take a while to assemble, so these are a special treat treat. :o)

Last day on the Kenai

My last morning, I decided to take the kayak out on the lake one more time. The birds are fairly tame right now, probably because many of them are babies. 

 I am sitting at the fat end of the 'key' on the lake. From this spot you can't really see mum's house or the neighbor's. You can almost see the neighbor's float in the middle of the narrow part of the key. (our lake is sort of shaped like a key. The houses are at the tip of the key, the part that would go in the lock.)

 The sun was coming up over the trees and shining on the lake and the fog had burned off. It was beautiful!

 The dew on the lilypad flowers just made me happy!

One of the last things I got to do on the Kenai was attend one more Kenai Peninsula Oilers game. This one was against the Chugiak Chinooks. The Oilers won 9-7!!!

My last day in Alaska, Mary took me to Westchester Lagoon. Which looks totally different this lovely July 3 than it did in April when I went with Kelly and Titus. 

 One of my favorite Alaskan flowers showing off the march of time in stunning color. In just a few inches, the fireweed will have topped and a few weeks after that, it will be winter.

Kasilof Kapers

My last Sunday in Alaska, we had a great time doing different kinds of fun things. At church Randy had some air rockets ready to launch and I think JaLeen made 4 pretty in pink ones. After that we drove out to Kasilof and visited a museum. It consisted of several old log buildings which had been used by various settlers way back in the day. There were many signs telling us what was used when.

                                       

One of the things we noticed in a small cabin was well..how small it was! Janet is under 5 feet and this doorway made her feel like a giant.

Some of the buildings were locked, but you could peek in the windows to see what there was to see.

 One of the more fascinating buildings hosted miscellaneous fishing gear. One wall of a cabin was covered in panels that held different kinds of ways to make knots.

 Below, mum is standing near the first flushing toilet on the Kenai. It is a two seater and was next to the water and the tides helped with the maintenance.

 Lee decided this was one of the very first sawzalls. Looks a little bit scary, but loggers did what they had to do to get it done!

 In the museum proper there were all kinds of different things that were used in the past. I particularly liked how this wall was old labels. Some families used newspapers to cover their walls. You could read last year's news while you drank your coffee!

 This yoke was made in Anchor Point by a talented wood carver. He made it so his wife could haul water easier.

There were several canneries who canned salmon and put a variety of labels on them. I liked this one the best. (I prefer red salmon!)

        

After the museum we went down to Kasilof beach. This is the mouth of the river, it is a great place to catch reds (which are the fish running about now. As you can see there are not very many people on the banks yet, just wait a few more days!)

 

One of the more interesting beach finds was hauled off by this tourist. It was a dehydrated  shark. Not sure what kind it was since it is in such awful condition, but Alaska has been known to host a nice variety. In recent years there have been many more than previously netted/found. 

The lower end of the Kenai

Just before  you get to Homer, it is almost mandatory you stop here. Everyone does! This is looking back up the Kenai, the Spit is on the other side.

 I was really impressed by the veggies in the gardens at this rest stop. I was even more impressed when I  they are for the food bank in Homer.

 These flowers are off in the embankment. Pushkey (not sure how to spell that!) is the white  one and it is VERY not nice if you get it on your skin!

 At Land's End you see people fishing (for junk fish, but they are a lot of fun for the kids to catch) and gulls (this area has what is called a gut chute). The boats scared up clouds of birds when they blew past.

 This area is the first spot you can stop at on the Spit. It used to have a few trees and I played out there with my sister. We'd dig holes in the sand, find clams, play with the tiny Irish lords mum caught and had a great time in our little black boots with the red stripe on top.

 This is a sign I am just tired of. EVERYWHERE in Alaska you find these signs. I sort of understand why they exist, but we used to play on this beach all the time (we'd bike down and hang out on the river or the beach) and it was free. The saddest part is how little the river is used now since it is closed to serious fishing. You can still catch some things to keep, but not like we used to.

 Fisherfolk out in the Inlet arrive at the Anchor River beach in their boats and get hauled in by one of these.

 Mum, watching the gulls.

 The mountain Iliamna is across from Anchor Point.

 This is an iconic bridge. I crossed it on bike, on foot, and in cars often when I was in 4th and 5th grade. The Anchor River was the perfect playground and up the hill from the river near the Inn was an old gravel pit with a pond. And a raft....

 looking down the river-