Changes Changes Everywhere!

Once again, this Blog has been reformatted! I think that I like this format the best, as of right now at least. It is much more simple and clean. Not to busy. The perfect backdrop for my photography!

San Francisco City Hall

The hubby and I recently got back from a 9 day trip to California. We were visiting grandparents in the San Francisco Bay area and siblings in the Sacramento area. We had a wonderful time visiting Downtown San Fran, Napa, and other adventures!

One "Adventure" that sticks out in my mind is the obligatory trip to World's Fare Donuts! This place is very significant to my hubby because he has memories as a child going to his grandmothers house and always, repeat, always getting doughnuts from this place. Of course, one we go to CA we had to have them as well!


Hubby's Fav: Maple Long John (but will pretty much eat anything that has frosting and not cream filled)
My Fav: Glazed Old Fashioned (they also have chocolate and maple glazed) These are the little ones that "crack" open while cooking and look like, to me at least, little flying saucer doughnuts!

I highly recommend going to Worlds Fare, their doughnuts are fresh and there is a vast selection to please everybody, but I understand that doughnut stores are a dime a dozen in CA. Its just so big! But the place is so significant to us, we will stand by them through and through!

Soon I will be posting some pictures from our sparkling wine and wine tours and tastings. I will also include a review on a historic restaurant in St. Helena CA. Can you guess what it may be? If not, stay tuned!

ENJOY!

Picture Sharing time!

I just recently made a nice road trip from MN to NC. This is not the first time that I have made this trip. I have made it at least 5 times. All of them I have done by myself, except for two when I had a wonderful companion of some sort. I LOVE to drive, I really really do and I challenge myself to find things that can keep my mind occupied. This time I let time fly. I focused on not worrying what time of day it was, just let time pass and don't start to schedule it or count it down, like "okay I have 4 more hours" instead I just thought, "alright, its noon, what city am I going through next?" or something along those lines. I seemed to help a lot!

Anywhos, here are some pictures that I took while on the road!

My faithful travel companion!

Fred the turtle to keep me company as well!

Pilot Mountain in North Carolina

Pretty clouds 

Flying hand! I totally loved doing this as a kid!

Hahaha! A horses butt!

Wind turbines

What kept me awake at night! 

ENJOY!!

Chicago Trip 08 and Recipe

Can ya believe it! This is where I just got back from! 10 art students in one big van head to CHICAGO for at 3 day invasion! We went to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Navy Pier, River North Galleries, and Millennium Park.

The hostel that we stayed at was just a few exits north of Wrigley Field on the L. Of course I had to visit! We went to a bar that had batting cages above it and hit a few balls. That just about made the trip! (to Wrigleyville at least) I also did some beer tasting at Goose Island. Yummy.

Home of the Cubs!! I love baseball!

One night for dinner we went to Cosi. I had a Wasabi Roast Beef sandwich. There was ginger and a soy sesame sauce on it as well. Not to bad, the bread was good, but not on this type of sandwich.

One of the water towers at Millennium Park

The Bean!!

Pizza from Gino's East. We sampled both the Veggie and Sausage pizzas.

Last, but not least, I would like to share two recipes. The first is Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I had two reasons for making these cookies:

1. My dog died on Wednesday the 1st. My dad was having a hard time with it, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are is favorite, so I baked him some!
2. I made them for the car ride out to Chicago, and they were gone in a flash!

The batter for these cookies is absolutely delish! So that could only mean good things for the cookies...correct! They were wonderful! Full of raisins, cinnamon, oats, yummy goodness! And the recipe is very simple.

~Oatmeal Raisin Cookies~
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon*
3 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. raisins
1 c. chocolate chips**

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in rolled oats, raisins, and chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tsp. about 2 in. apart onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 min and remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 doz.

*I added more cinnamon **I did not add chocolate chips this time

ENJOY!!