On the Road Again

I've learned that sometimes the best trips are the ones where little to no preparation is involved.  Just do it!  So we did.  This weekend we took a road trip to Idaho.  Seventeen hundred miles round trip. Roughly 425 miles a day.  It was grand!

Patience

"He that can have patience can have what he will."

~~Benjamin Franklin

He's right ya know.  It is true.  I've learned this.

Where's the Beef

I'm a beef eater.  And I'm fine with it.  I love meat.  There is nothing more tasty to me than a medium rare New York Strip just off the grill (properly rested of course).  Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  However, I've learned that I prefer my beef unnamed and no photographs please. I don't like to eat things whose face I've seen; can you blame me?  But every year during fair season my boss purchases FFA projects, aka, cows, pigs and this year a lamb.  After the said projects have taken a trip to the butcher, we the employees of MBE are the generous recipients of said purchases.  And then every year we get these thank you notes from the students who have raised said cows, pigs and lambs.  Don't get me wrong, I believe in thank you notes, they are a good thing.  After all he pays top dollar for these animals and then pays a nice price for their trip to the butcher and then gives 90% of the meat away.  But please just send a thank you note, names and pictures are really not necessary.........just sayin!

Meet Hugh!

The Thing about Pumpkin

I don't know about you but it seems like whenever I open a can of pumpkin the recipe never calls for all the pumpkin that is in the can.  Add a half a cup, add a cup; never add the whole fat can.  It must be the marketing thing.  Just sell them a big fat can; it will get tossed and then they'll buy more big fat cans next time they need pumpkin.  Not so fast people.  So you know the dog bones I made?  Well the recipe only called for half a cup of pumpkin.  So what to do with the rest?  Make cookies of course.

So moist and yummy!

Autumn Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 c. margarine or butter (or part shortening)
1 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2 c. oatmeal (regular or quick)
2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients (with exception of oatmeal) and add alternately with the pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. It always takes me a batch to know the right time.  So just make the first batch a small one so you can get the cooking time right for the rest!

What I've Learned in 30

Wow, September is here.  How did that happen?  Summer seemed so short this year what with so much rain in the month of July.  But as always time marches on and waits for no one.  And so must I.  September is the month of learning.  So for the next thirty days I will be writing about things I've learned.  It may be what I learned today or what I learned yesterday or what I need to learn.  All things considered it will be a month to  learn from.  Join me and let's see where this month of knowledge takes us.

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