Happy Trails

Inspired

 

It has been a while! Let me catch you up on what's been going on around here...mostly focusing on the weekends, as that is when we have the most fun.

The past few weekends have been really wonderful in a lot of ways. There has been some sleeping in, and coming downstairs to the fire going, with the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air. (Salmaan always rises before I do).

Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning Salmaan was lounging on the couch with a pile of new cookbooks looking pleased as punch. He treated us to 7 new tomes full of inspiration, and after a nice fluffy omelette full of ham, cheese, and assorted veggies, we cuddled up on the couch and read for hours, taking notes and sharing things that excited us along the way. And you know where we're going from here, yeah?

 

First up, a wonderful new way to use up leftover roast chicken (which we always seem to have a lot of, week after week). These quesadillas quite frankly rocked. We dressed them up with a dollop of sour cream, some ribboned romaine dressed with lime juice, and a bit of salsa. Mmm.

That following Sunday morning I woke up at 4:30, and couldn't get back to sleep, thinking about how much stuff I wanted to make. By 5:30 I gave up, and Salmaan and I made a batch of Curtis Stone's homemade Granola (which was fantastic--just go a little less on the initial baking time).

Homemade chicken soup was finished up and packaged away in the freezer for a day either of us has a cold and needs some comfort, and then we made a delicious brunch, consisting of poached egg inside of a crisped proscuitto cup on top of sauteed spinach and a toasted whole wheat bagel (also from Curtis Stone's cookbook).

It was our first time poaching eggs, and it turned out nicely. If we ever open a B&B, this is going on the breakfast menu for sure. For dinner we made Jamie Oliver's Mushroom Risotto.

Yes, yes, I gave risotto another try! We made this on Halloween night, and the risotto itself was quite delicious. The specialty grilled mushrooms on the top? Surprisingly not delicious. Not sure if it was the total lack of fat (oh butter, how I missed you), or too much citrus (he advises to dress the grilled shrooms with lemon juice and herbs), but it wasn't workin' for me. The base recipe, however, I would definitely make again, and butter up some bellas or shiitakes for the big garnish.

This past weekend both of us were feeling under the weather. In fact, we've both been fighting off a cold for about a week now. Instead of taking the chicken soup out of the freezer, we tried a new recipe--Tyler Florence's chicken tortellini soup. SO GOOD, and just what we needed. 

I pulled this out of the freezer last night, and it hit the spot for a quick and soothing dinner.

We've had a couple of friends over on the weeknights lately, and that has lead us to some new recipes that we will try again. Ina's new book just came out, and I made her turkey meatballs.

Very good. Her new book is a bit repetitive--not a ton of new ideas, really. But I like Ina and her sensibility, so it's fun just to read through it.

The next to last weekend in October, my parents came to visit us. They stayed the weekend, and we had a fantastic time. Saturday we went to the Powhatan Festival of the Grape, and sampled some tasty Virginia Wine.

Despite my ageeb looking face in this photograph, I really was enjoying myself...especially when we visited our favorite virginia winery--Horton.

Love this shot of my parents.

They really helped us with a lot of stuff around the house that weekend, including a raised bed that I'm very excited about:

Dad and Salmaan busted this out in only a few hours. The garden really went to hell this past summer (partly the terribly hot weather/water restrictions, partly my waning interest, partly the fact that the squirrels and chipmunks stole most of my yield), so it was time to scale back. I'm going to be using this solely has an herb garden, and we're going to seed the rest of the garden area with grass seed. We also took out the blackberry bushes, as I think I was only able to get about 15 berries all season, and they honestly weren't very good. Come Christmas-time (and my "extra" paycheck), we're going to sign up for a local CSA. I mean, have you seen the Rooster's blog? I've been inspired, and want to give this a go. 

Dad and Salmaan fixed some of our gates, too.

We may have put them to work, but we fed them well. Salmaan grilled up a beautiful beef tenderloin.

The dogs had a fantastic time, too. They couldn't have enjoyed the extra attention more.

As you can see, JJ is getting bigger every day. It's so cool to see the changes. His fur has gotten longer and CURLY, which is adorable, and his personality is really starting to be apparent--he dotes on River constantly.

And that's pretty much what's been going on at Chez K. A fair amount of knitting has been accomplished as well, but that is for another post. I'm off from work today, hence the time to write--and hopefully posted about some FO's! 

 

FO: Amazon Windschief

With so many larger projects on the needles (some over *ahem* a year old), I wanted a quickie project.

Love the yarn--Unplanned Peacock Studios super squishy superwash DK merino. Colorway Amazon. Have a little less than half a skein left, it'll be put to good use sometime.

The pattern is Windschief by Stephen West, and it was a pleasure to knit--very simple and well-written. I can see more of these in my knitting future. Used #7's for the body, #6's for the twisted rib brim.

Feeling a little overwhelmed this weekend. This past week the biggest case of my career to date came to conclusion, and I was pleased with the result. That being said, it feels strange for it to be over, as I've been working on it for about the last three months, and the last couple weekends have been spent either working on it at home or at the office. Emotionally, I'm kind of feeling like, "now what?".

River is sick, as well. Thursday we came home from work to an incredible amount of diarrhea in the living room (that we just furnished) and upstairs was dotted with piles of vomit (also in a newly furnished room). Making any sort of mess in the house is VERY unusual for her--it's been years since she's had a mistake, so of course we were concerned. We have been watching her closely, feeding her broth to keep her hydrated, and keeping her under quarantine of sorts in a fenced off area of the kitchen. Last night she was looking particularly glum, so we made an early morning vet appointment this morning, as it didn't seem to be resolving itself. She woke up with a swollen face, and Salmaan rushed her to the vet. The swelling seems to be a separate issue, she's gotten a steroid shot for that. Right now, meds for nausea and diarrhea, and no food until tonight (poor thing hasn't really eaten in 24 hours). They haven't completely ruled out a foreign body, so we're going to be keeping a close eye on her today and tomorrow. Cross your fingers she just ate something that disagreed with her?

We're not upset about the mess, of course. I'm only concerned because next weekend, my in-laws are coming to visit for the first time EVER, and the last thing I'd like for them to see are big poo stains in the rooms we were so excited to visit in. We are vigilantly treating the areas, but my prognosis at this point is guarded.

Stress over the last three months resulted in a fair amount of "retail therapy"--which, as you knitters know, means YARN, and you spinners know, means FIBER. I have sweater yarn (really, really beautiful sweater yarn) coming out the wazoo, and joined a few fiber clubs. Hoping to fill some of that emotional void with fibery things this weekend--working on my Treeline Cardigan a bit, and trying not to succumb to any more startitis. 

Off to get focused on getting back into the normal routine, nurse our baby back to health, and welcome in the first harbingers of fall (sweater knitting, and is there bouef bourguignon in our very near future?). Happy Fall!

A Time for Everything

Time is a funny thing. Recently, more than ever, I have become aware of how relative our perception of each passing day can be, and how that perception can affect mood, outlook, and productivity.

 I have no idea where June went.

In an effort to avoid wishing July away in the same mind blowing fashion, we've been filling our days and weekends with tasks and people to look forward to. Motivation to stay in the moment, and enjoy the summer that we'll wish we had embraced more fully once the chill wind of January burns our cheeks again.

We had an amazing Fourth of July weekend. Our wonderful wedding photographer, Fran, invited us to come down with the dogs for a visit. She and Roger live on 30 beautifully rolling acres in the Shenandoah Valley, just outside of Brownsburg, Virginia. Their house sits atop a hill, and through nearly every window, you catch a view of farmland and the Blue Ridge Mountains, their color muted by the hazy heat, but still as comforting as ever. 

We arrived in our own time late Saturday afternoon, enjoying the winding country lanes and the splashes of red from wine berries hanging from overladen branches lining Dutch Hollow Road. Those same wine berries (actually a species of wild asian raspberries) cover Fran and Roger's property, and I spent a couple of hours on Sunday morning picking them to enjoy at a later date.

 
 Saturday evening Fran put out a spread of cheese, crackers, and various other tasty things, and we sat in front of the house while the sun set across the valley, listening to the quiet music of a Rockbridge County evening. 

 She cooked an incredible organic chicken, which we enjoyed with salad and fresh corn on the cob. Afterwards we shared some of the blackberry/blueberry galette that I had made that morning (blackberries from my backyard garden patch--yay!) 

 The wine did flow, and once the sun had set, we took our beverages back out to the yard, watching the stars come out and shoot across a sky that felt like it was only an arms length overhead. We had planned to stay for just one night, but our hosts graciously asked us to spend another, and we were happy to oblige. I think it's probably the only time that my tendency to overpack has actually paid off.

 The kids also had a wonderful time. Fran and Roger have 5 four legged children of their own--3 of them dogs. While Sophie and Evie weren't really up for a ton of socializing, the newest addition to their pack, Mojo, became fast friends with Jayden about five minutes after we got there. 

 They rolled around and played pretty much constantly all weekend. It was also a big event because this was the first time we had EVER let the dogs off-lead in an unenclosed environment. We were super anxious about it at first, but after the first few hours, we realized that River loved us enough to come back from her wanderings to check in every 20 minutes or so, and Jayden was so enamored with Mojo he wasn't going to leave her side. River chased two deer, got stained and sticky with wine berries, and was a magnet for pretty much every thorn and burr on the property, but she couldn't have been happier.

 
 Jayden is growing so fast, we can barely keep up. 

 While is face is still as silky as the finest cashmere, his body hair is starting to get longer and coarser--something I don't recall happening to River until she was much older. He is such a sweet, sweet little gentleman. Always close, and always ready to cuddle.

 

 

Fran maintains a lovely garden around the house, and Sunday after berry picking I walked around the property with my camera, attempting to capture as much of the serenity of the day as I could. 

This was the only sunflower in the garden, and in this photo I feel like it has its own personality. I half expect it to say aloud, "whatchoo lookin' at?"

 

There were a ton of butterfly bushes, and I used the telephoto lens to get in as close as I could, with exciting results.

 

 

While I'm not usually one for buzzing bees, I couldn't seem to stop trying to capture these little guys as they hummed around me. Their wings are exquisite.

These moth-like guys were also quite abundant. 

Sunday night we sat outside again with hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and watched the sun set across the valley. 

 
After a delicious dinner, I rode with Fran down the road to pick up Evie at a neighbor's house. Evie is good friends with the dogs down there, and Fran and her neighbor have quite the unique arrangement--Evie gets dropped off in the mornings (if she doesn't wander down there on her own) when Fran leaves for work, and she picks Evie up to bring her home at the end of the day. They call it Evie's "second family". It was cool out and on the way back up the long winding driveway with the windows down, I heard a loud *ping!* against my glass of wine. I didn't think anything of it until I was back out on the dark porch, and took a sip of grasshopper. Even the bugs were into having a laid back weekend. ;-)

 
 Monday morning we headed back home, sad to leave, but also feeling rejuvenated from the change of pace and hospitality we enjoyed there. Not to mention the fact that the dogs have pretty much slept the last two days straight. We will always think back fondly of the time we spent there, until the next visit! Thank you Fran and Roger!!!

Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

I've been wanting to write for a while, but wasn't able to come up with a coherent theme for everything I wished to share. Finally figured no theme worked just fine, so here we go.

We've been cooking more. Cooking with Ina, mostly. We have *almost* every one of the Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks, and we enjoy going through them from time to time, picking out things we normally wouldn't try. Over the last few weeks, there have been epic wins, and epic fails.

Tomato Goat Cheese Tarts: Epic Win.

These were unbelievably delicious, and I was especially proud that they came out looking exactly like the photo in the book. It's somewhat of a finicky recipe in a way--there are a lot of steps, some of which either take a long time (properly caramelizing the onions) or make a mess (rolling out the puff pastry and cutting it), but in the end--SO worth it. While she suggests this could make a great (albeit heavy) appetizer, I disagree. If you're going to go through that much trouble, make it a meal. We had these for lunch last weekend with a nice big salad, and it was perfection.

Spring Risotto: Epic Fail.

Well, alright. Maybe not an EPIC fail, but a fail nonetheless. I don't really GET risotto. I mean, it doesn't fit into any sort of category that makes sense to me. Is it rice? Is it pasta? Neither. Do I like it? Hrm. Do I enjoy watching Chef Ramsey scream about it being improperly prepared on Hell's Kitchen? ("Where's my F*CKING RIS-OT-TOW????") Absolutely. That's pretty much why we decided to give this a go. And now we kind of get why risotto puts Ramsey in such a bad mood.

In the opening paragraph of the recipe, Ina says that after a bad day, she loves to make this meal. She turns the music up, pours a "nice" glass of wine, and starts stirring. Having made this ourselves on a weeknight, when each of us had busy days at the office, I can only conclude two things: either Ina is a sadist, or she is a drunk. That's the only way you can possibly "enjoy" or get through all that stirring.

Now, let me be fair. I probably didn't have the heat on high enough, and so it took about twenty minutes longer for the rice to get tender than it should have. MAYBE. The last time I made risotto was out of the Newlywed Cookbook (which, by the way, is probably the worst collection of recipes I've ever laid eyes on--I actually threw it away, not wanting to subject another to the perils of its pages by donating it), at our old apartment. It was a mushroom risotto, and we went to about 4 different stores to get all the different kinds of specialty mushrooms (fresh and dried) that the recipe called for. It was expensive, and was at a time when we really couldn't afford it. I stirred my flipping butt off with that dish, and when we sat down to eat, it was like we were eating shroomy sand. I may have cried. Hard. And then consoled myself with a "nice" glass of wine. Or four. Anyway, I probably didn't cook it long enough that first time. But two sub par risotto experiences in a row can't be coincidence. It just can't.

In the end, this was edible. There was a lot of citrus in it (lemon juice and lemon zest) and this was a good learning experience--I do not enjoy lemon flavor in savory dishes. For me, it's reminiscent of floor cleanser (like the papaya we had on our honeymoon--it was like Mr. Clean from a tree!), so, all in all, while we won't be making this again, we did learn a few things: Higher heat for risotto--be drunk, feel sadistic, or feel determination that making this meal WILL be an adequate substitute for going to the gym, and no more lemon, thank you very much.

I ended up using the leftover marscapone and about a zillion other cheeses that we had in the fridge for a bangin' mac n cheese this week, but alas, no photos. *sniff* It was good, though!

Last weekend we also pumped these out (a little homage to the Rooster).

We tried the recipe featured in the Feb/March 2010 Fine Cooking Magazine, and "Ahhhhhhhhh" (angels singing) they were fabulous. We did the pork/shrimp filling, and they did not disappoint. There are a ton of these left, sitting patiently in the fridge, and we'll be eating them again soon. While I pan-seared these, I think we'll just boil the others--cut down on the oil. 

Last weekend we also met up with my best friend from high school, Andrew, and his lovely wife Heather and their son, Sam.

We've come a long way, yeah?

 They're expecting a baby girl this fall, and we're so happy for them! Andrew is going into his internship for med school in August, and we were excited to get to see them before they went back to the midwest. Best of luck with Boards, Andrew!

There have been many requests lately for more pup pictures/updates, so here you are!

The little guy is doing great. We had his 9 week vet visit this past Monday, and everything is A-OK. He's even doing much better this week with the potty training, which is very exciting. Salmaan continues Puppy Kindergarten at home--almost every evening, and has an excellent teaching assistant in River.

Here's a video I took last week of them romping around--JJ is quite tough, and while we were a little worried about how rough and tumble they get, the vet said it was perfectly normal and a great sign.

There's also been some progress on the knitting and spinning front, but that's for another post. For now, it's back to the needles for me! Happy Saturday!

There's Still Time for Spinning

Well, Jbear made it through just fine, and we're well on our way to an established routine. We've having a bit of difficultly in the housebreaking department, but we're sticking to the feeding schedule and know that it will all work out in the end. Every day River acknowledges Jayden more, and this evening they had an old fashioned romp around in the den. This is a shot that I captured yesterday that I LOVE.

 In case you're interested (and you're probably not, but I am completely starry-eyed with all things puppers related at the moment), here is where he spends most of his day while we're at work.

Which brings me to the subject line of this post--even with the new routine and extra attention, there's still time for spinning! This is what I'm working on right now--8 oz. of Crown Mountain Farms Polwarth Top, in the Black Sun colorway.

I really love this fiber. It drafts like a dream and is very soft. Check out the gorgeous new CMF colorways, as well--you'll die for them! I'm excited to get this 8 oz. spun up, so I can move on to the next 8 oz. of Polwarth Top in the 12th Planet colorway. After I get a bobbin all spun up--I'll be asking you to weigh in on whether you think I should combine the two colorways for a lively two-ply, or keep them separate. Either way, they'll turn into some celestial handspun...;-) I'm kicking myself a bit because try as I might, I can't seem to find the blog post that inspired this idea--I happened upon it while surfing through Ravelry, and a wonderful spinner had combined two totally separate colorways and the result was inspiring. I'm bad about putting blogs into my Google Reader...note to self--be better.

I'll leave you with a couple of images that I shot for my last photography class, which was this evening. I learned SO MUCH, and even so, have just revealed the tip of the iceberg of all things digital. Can't wait to keep practicing!

 

 

 
 

 

First Work Day

First full work day for the little guy today. Salmaan will come home at lunch, but still, it's a long time. My heart is breaking a little.

 

Team K, Now 4 Strong

Brought the little guy home yesterday. There's lots to tell, but I'm going to wait until I get more pictures (which means, until I master the manual shutter setting on my cannon--it should happen soon enough). Suffice it to say we're all settling in well, and he is just too cute for words.

 

Oh, Hai!

We are pleased to introduce the newest member of our family, Jayden Ravine. I have been DYING to share this process with everyone here in this space, but there were a lot of "ifs, ands or buts" involved, and it wasn't until today that it was all a sure thing. 

We made the financial commitment back in early September of last year, and waited with fingers crossed that the litter we chose would "take". (Actually, when we reserved River, that litter didn't take, and we were able luckily to bump over to the reservation list of another litter, and so were blessed with her in more ways than one). 

Well, this litter DID take (as we found out in January), and this little guy, along with one brother and five sisters, was born on March 29, 2010. We had first pick of the boys, and decided we would make the drive down to Shalgo Farm to make our selection in person today.

We spent about an hour with all of them, and visiting with Jackie and George. After a while though, one of the little boys particularly started to grow on me.

There was a gentle energy about him, which actually is something that really attracted me to Salmaan when we first met. We also thought his energy would be a great compliment to River's. I looked at Salmaan, our eyes met, and we knew it was the right fit. We brought River with us of course (see her in the background), but interestingly, she wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with the pups. Even after we picked the little brother and tried to introduce them, she just wanted Daddy-love. I don't think she would have been interested even if we had dipped the little guy in peanut butter. That's saying something.

Jackie convinced us not to worry, and assured us that this behavior was completely normal. It was great to be able to talk to her one on one, and she was full of words of wisdom that I know will help us when little Jayden comes home.

For now, though, he's going to stay at the farm, chill out with his siblings and graduate from Puppy Kindergarten. We'll go get him in the latter half of May, and I'm sure there will be much to share when that comes to pass!

For now, I'll leave you with one more shot of that adorable little panda bear face!

 

Discovery

This past weekend we did some work around the outside of the house. I was standing near the gas tank for our fireplace, spooling the hose, when I noticed that there was an awful lot of flotsam and jetsam stuffed into the lid of the tank. We carefully opened it, and peered into what we soon realized was a very cozy, organized space.

Cool, yeah? 

I'm not sure what they are, but given the markings and how the nest was made (lots of moss and dog hair-- and I was wondering what happened to River's fluff when I furminate her on the back deck), my guess is either chickadees, or cow birds. I'm hoping for the former, as the latter are not so very nice. We're going to keep a close eye on the nest and its contents, as the bird dog that lives with us has a tendency to get a little zealous in her curiosity and instincts (read squirrel story below). 

Discoveries have been happening indoors as well, but more on that later!

Happy Hump Day!

A Road Trip--AND--Disaster Averted

I'm pretty pumped right now because I'm taking some time off this week to drive down to North Carolina and visit my friend, Julia. She was my maid of honor in my wedding, and we remain good friends. I haven't seen her for over a year and a half, and it has been WAY too long! She and her husband Tom and their little daughter, Anna Grace, live right outside the resort area of Lake Lure. 

Right before Anna was born, I knit her the Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting. I think they enjoyed the gift, so I wanted to make her another little sweater now that she is almost a year and a half. After browsing through numerous options on Ravelry, I decided to make the Yoked Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. Next up was what yarn to use, and that was more of a challenge. I have SO much Malabrigo Worsted on hand, it isn't funny, but I was worried about it pilling (since I hope she will wear it often) and I worried about it felting (as I am sure at that age, it would need to be washed with equal frequency--and Julia is a non-knitter). So, Malabrigo was out--despite its luxurious softness. I didn't have any superwash worsted yarn on hand (which in retrospect, would have been fantastic), but I did have some Liisu that I purchased a long time ago from Orchardside Yarn Shop. (Liisu has apparently since been bought by the Unique Sheep, fyi). Add to that the fact that this particular blend is called "Anna's yarn" and the deal was done.

Anna's yarn is a 2-play mohair/merino blend, and knitted up, I find it a bit rough for a baby. BUT, I pressed on because I convinced myself that the mohair would lend wonderful strength and sheen to the yarn, which would carry the garment through multiple wearings and washings. 

The yoke was tricky. I didn't like it. It took me a long time and I have no idea why. Additionally, I don't think that the Liisu shows the ribbing well at all. If you look at other FO's (this one is my favorite, I think) you'll see what I mean. Given that fact, I made the decision to end the ribbing at the divide for the sleeves, and I think it was a good move!

 

I FLEW through the stockinette portion while enjoying the Olympics with Salmaan on Sunday, and bound off the body and completed the button bands during my day off yesterday. The garter border is 10 rows, the buttonbands are 8 rows. It was my first time knitting a button band. I dig it! 

I decided to bind off the sleeves where the yoke ended for a few different reasons, with the most important one being of a practical nature. I kept on thinking about Little Niece in her high chair at snack time ("Snack Time!!!! Yeeeeeaaaahhhhh..." as she always says), and how sticky and mucky her little fingers get as she plays with her food. Pureed yams in mohair...blurghegh...it's enough to make me go all green and...well...let's not think about that, yeah? Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah. 

So anyway I washed and blocked the little cardi-vest yesterday, and feeling QUITE pleased as punch (I hate deadline knits, and rarely pull them off on time--but I loved knitting this and it was done a day in advance!) I left the house for my Valentine's mani-pedi and massage. Salmaan met me out for dinner at our favorite sushi place. The head chef gave us a complimentary dessert. It was wonderful! 

We came home to items strewn all over the place, including my beautiful little cardi-vest, at the top of the stairs, with little bits of it cast about the hallway.

 I ran into the bathroom, slammed the door, and had a good cry. Salmaan very wisely gave me some alone time, and carefully picked up all the pieces. Eventually composed, I went to my computer, and the wonderful Amy was online, and patiently listened as I told her about the damage, and provided advice on my options, as well as encouragement in every way a discouraged knitter could ask for. (BTW, thank you, Amy. You too, Salmaan. Thank you for giving me the space that I needed to be a drama queen.)

In the end, I decided to make a patch. I knit it up last night, and made the necessary repairs today before sewing it on. 

My goal was three-fold: 1) make sure that the dropped loops were secured with the red wool (btw, I used the patons classic because it was pure wool, and would be a lot less slippery than the Liisu--plus I was hoping the mohair would catch on the wool a bit, and possibly felt JUST enough in the future to help prevent further unravelling--I think this was a good call) 2) find the loose ends, secure them to one another, and secure them to the red yarn (for reasons cited above) and 3) hope and pray like hell that this worked!

Honestly? (Knocking like a crazed judge in a courtroom malay on wood....) I think it DID work.  I pulled and yanked and tugged like crazy, with no additional damage. Woohoo! Disaster averted! Then all I had to do was secure the patch.

Since it was River's handiwork that necessitated its creation, I thought it only fair to give her credit. All in all, I think it came out nicely.

As the patch added a little bit more of a "handmade" feel to this garment, I went shopping and decided on these very playful ladybug buttons. I was originally (sans damage) going to use some pretty shell buttons, which, combined with the purple, evoked a very sophisticated "cottage by the seaside cliff at dusk" sort of feeling. (And yes, I actually thought that as I saw the combo of yarn and button!). Oh well, the ladybugs are perfectly appropriate for her age, and I think they look pretty cute. Anyways, seaside cliffs are dangerous!!! Yeah? Yeeeeeaaaaah. 

And, don't worry, I'm not upset with River. As Amy so fairly noted, "She couldn't help it, it smelled like SHEEP!" And goat, too, now that I think about it....sheesh, you really can't blame her, can you? And anyway, look at that face...who can resist it?

So, I'm off in the morning for my little road trip adventure--and off now to bake some cinnamon raisin bread for my hosts! Have a great week, all!