Sugary Dreams
Cranberry Hootycreeks
I found this recipe at recipezaar and they are scrumptious! Very moist & the perfect mix of tart cranberries & sugary white chocolate.
Prep:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup rolled oat
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
Baking:
Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter, then add sugars, eggs & vanilla.
Mix in flour mixture & oats, then cranberries, chips & nuts.
Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.
Makes 3 doz. Cookies
Ooey Gooey White Chocolate Brownies
and this bit of white chocolate-y goodness came from
Duh-licious
Prep:
1/2 cup of butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Baking:
1. Preheat oven at 350'C
2. Cream butter and sugar, and add the ingredients in the order listed.
3. Pour batter in a greased 9x12 rectangular pan (or similar)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the centre
Large amounts of sugar tend to give me horrible nightmares. I think I'm in for some sleepless nights (until the cookies are gone!)
Just a little tale from this evening's Fir Tree adventure (luckily, no cameras were involved). Never one to have a modest, nor simple tree, I always opt for the one that is Clark Griswold size, regardless of the space I am fitting it in. So, I drove home with the tree poking me in the back of the head, unable to see out of the rear or passenger side mirrors. I could have had it strapped to the top of my car, which is what I've done ever since I made the mistake of putting it inside. I'm still finding pine needles from trees long since past!
And just because I am stubborn (me?), and had a few other bits and bobs to grab from the store, I had the ever-so-kind lad struggle to squeeze a just over 8ft tree inside my car. Yes, I've just condemned my car to a lifetime supply of dried up fir needles.
Arriving home, to an empty house (four legged critters aren't much help in cases like this) - do I attempt to bring it in on my own, or leave it in the car overnight? I'm certain you already know the answer to this. Once I dragged it out of the back of the car and it was on the ground, there was no turning back. That tree was coming up those 20 or so steps with me, one way or another. Two steps at a time. Wow. I think I might have passed out and not even known. Where did my pulse go? I somehow became Wonder Woman for a brief moment in time.
I decided I really should turn the outside light off. Pulling an 8ft+ tree up a flight of stairs in the dark is most definitely the safest thing to do (especially when you could be seen by passer-byes!) Getting it up the stairs was only half the battle, now it was trying to turn it to get it through the door. I prevailed! Sap in my hair, sap on the cat, bruised thumbs - now all I have to do is get it in the stand. Oh, darn. It doesn't fit. The trunk is too big.
I'd never had this problem before. Did i just purchase a mutant tree? Not giving up just yet. Back in the car, back to the store. I am now the proud owner of tree stand for "husky" trees. Yay! It fits! But...there is one low hanging branch preventing me from getting it in the stand properly. Let me put one of those Henckels knives to good use. Twenty minutes later I realised that knives do not make good saws, no matter how sharp they are! But again, I eventually won.
The tree is in the stand, and upright! I didn't say it was straight - but I'll save that 'til morn.
If only I'd opted for the smaller, modest tree, hehe =)
I'll post photos this weekend once she is decorated in gleaming orbs of silver and red (and a bit of peppermint swirl), and sparkling with thousands of lights =)
xo
A (re)Vamping of Sorts...
When Edward Cullen was still wearing diapers, the original "vampire clan"(has there really ever been another?) roamed the west coast seaside. Prompted by yet another viewing of The Lost Boys the other evening, I was left pondering what has become of some of the lesser-known fellows from the film - or rather, what on earth do they look like now? Father Time has a curious way of smiling upon some, and frowning upon others (as the photos below indicate, hehe).
David, Keifer Sutherland
Marko, Alex Winter
Dwayne, Billy Wirth
Paul, Brooke McCarter
Michael, Jason Patric
Sam, Corey Haim
Edgar Frog, Corey Feldman
Star, Jamie Gertz
Alan Frog, Jamison Newlander
Laddie, Chance Michael Crawford
Lucy, Diane Wiest
Max, Ed Herrmann
and lastly, bless...Grandpa, and his little taxidermied critter army,
Grandpa, Barnard Hughes, RIP
Isn't it funny how certain films, leave such a lasting impression on us. And I find this one most difficult to pass up every time it is on tele! Though it resides in my dvd collection, I just can't bring myself to not watch it when I find that it is on. I have that issue with several films, but this vampy, by all means legendary film, tops my list.
And whilst being nostalgic (it was the mid 80's after all), I stumbled across some other tidbits of interest from the film; The filming location for Grandad's house, was the once grand Pogonip Lodge in Santa Cruz.
Once home to one of the nations most scenic golf courses, and later a polo club, the Pogonip now sits in rehab purgatory =/ Apparently the city folks cannot decide to fix her up, or flatten her out.
The bridge, it seemed so much more ominous when clouded with fog (and higher as well!) But, that's why the special effects folks get paid the big bucks, hehe.
Bridge over the San Lorenzo River, Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk, most of which is still there; though sadly, some of it was destroyed by the earthquake in 1989, including the outdoor stage. Speaking of the outdoor stage, certainly not to be overlooked, nor forgotten - the hot waxy mess that was the saxophone player, Tim "I Still Believe" Cappello. (Whom, by the way, I cannot find any pictures of since this film)
And I do think that about wraps it up!
Oh yes, I did almost forget, when did vampires become socially acceptable? Was it only when they became sparkly?
xo
