We want to wish Grandpa Olsen a very happy birthday on his special day!
Tonight the playoffs begin for the Twins. Ella is ready to cheer in her dress from Julie & Ryan. Although she’ll actually be sleeping during the game, we know she’ll be dreaming of watching it. I’m thinking Pete & I will be listening on the radio. We have great hope for our team, despite the fact that the NY Times said it will be an easy pass for the Yankees. We’ll just see about that, won’t we.
We were cheering for the Twins in the exact same situation last year, so let’s do a little comparing.
We recently were visited by my dear friend, Shauna, and her two-year-old daughter, Bella. We love when they visit! The girls are adorable together. Do you remember the hi conversation? After playing for a while at the house, we went walking through Canal Park. It was a beautiful day. We can’t wait to see our two friends again soon!
Today is October 1! That means I get to bake again! I’m seriously considering extending the no baking just a bit, though, because it really does help with the whole nutrition thing. However, it’s apple season and we’re hoping to pick arm loads of apples in Bayfield this weekend, so it’s going to be tough to make it last much longer. Apple pies, apple crisp, apple butter. Yum yum yum.
Last week Ella & I went to the hospital for dinner with Daddy while he was on call. Ella gets super excited to see him. Then, when we get in the cafeteria, she walks from table to table saying hi to everyone. The nurses often have little conversations with her. It’s such a treat for us to see Pete in the middle of those 24-30 hour shifts!
Last week Ella and I went down to Moose Lake State Park for a little camping excursion with Grandma & Grandpa Scott. Grandma & Grandpa bought a new travel trailer at the beginning of the summer, so this meant we got to hit the outdoors in style. It was nice since it rained the entire first day we were there. We sat inside at the little dinette, playing cards and Yahtzee (a camping must in our family), eating animal crackers, and watching Ella play with the dogs. Grandma made dinner on the stove and warmed up sides in the microwave. Microwave?! Yup, a microwave.
Speaking of electronics while camping, did I mention yet that, to pass the time, we watched a movie on a brand new 19″ flat-screen TV? My parents explained that after years of roughing it in tents with five kids in pouring rain, wind and cold, making dinners over camp stoves or a crackling fire, they had earned the right to camp in comfort. Fair enough!
I can’t tell you how absolutely thankful I was to be in a warm camper when I woke at 2am that night with a rip-roaring stomach ache. I thought at first it was something I had eaten, but that only lasted about 15 minutes, at which time Miss Ella woke crying and commenced to throw up all over me. I stopped analyzing how I could have gotten sick and succumbed to the power of the bug. Oh, how lovely to be sleeping in a bed rather than on the cold ground and, even more than that, to have my mom and dad there to take care of us. Ella recovered pretty quickly and spent the morning playing with the dogs and sitting by the fire with Grandpa. I slept most of the morning and eventually wandered out to join them. Had Ella and I been at home, we would have been on our own most of the day, which would have been rough feeling the way I did. I can say a huge thank you, God! for allowing my mom & dad to be so close when I needed them.
That evening, when I was back on the road to recovery, Ella and I drove back to Duluth where Daddy took over the care of his girls. Sprite and raspberry sorbet never tastes so good.
Although Pete did eventually get hit by the bug, we can now say that the Olsen household is (nearly) a complete picture of health. Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Scott for taking care of us!
yay! a fun camping chair!
Gracie!
dancing with Gracie
sitting by the campfire
Grandpa & Ella
This is a recipe I really enjoy throwing together when I’m looking for something fairly simple. It’s a nice alternative to a traditional chocolate chip cookie yet is unique enough to catch the attention of friends. It still has those yummy little chocolate chips, but the oatmeal adds texture while the cranberries give a hint of tartness.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and using a wooden spoon), beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir this flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Add the oats, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries, and stir until well blended.
4. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons or with a cookie scoop (check out my recommendation in this post) onto the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a couple minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
I always enjoy wrapping the treats in something fun. In the picture above is a very inexpensive option. These cellophane bags are available at many grocery and craft stores. (Check here for a complete description on the Wilton site.) They come with silver twist ties, but I dress them up a bit with a small piece of fabric ribbon. Another option is the window coffee bag pictured below. (Papermart.com is great for lots of packaging supplies.) Any creative packaging makes simple baked goods look like a very special gift.
I haven’t been able to come up with another name for this recipe. Simply listing the ingredients doesn’t seem all that creative. Any ideas??
Enjoy!