...the 36 hour chocolate chip cookie crumbles.
Yeah, that wasn't very inventive. But, I have successfully made a fantastic batch of chocolate chip cookies, and you'd never guess, the trick is to leave them in the 'fridge for 36 hours. Stop drooling and follow the directions below:
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 12oz bag chocolate chips
- nuts (if desired. Pecans are godly).
Cream the butter, add sugars, vanilla, eggs, and oats. Sift together flour, salt, and soda. Mix with other ingredients. Add chocolate and nuts.
Next is the hard part: cover, and put bowl in refrigerator for 1 1/2 days. For real. There's a reason for this, I promise. The liquid in the cookie dough (to be unscientific, eggs) needs to be absorbed into the grains. The butter prevents this from happening quickly, hence, the waiting period. Trust me, the wait is worth it. It helps to develop the brown sugar/toffee flavor in the cookies.
When you are ready to bake them, keep in mind, bigger is better. Wonder why cookies at bakeries are so good? The wait period and size. When the cookie is bigger, you get multiple kinds of cookie: crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and perfect in between. Try for 4" of cookie dough on the sheet, flattened a bit. Bake at 375deg. for 10-12 minutes. Most people overbake cookies because it's easy to do -- just make sure the center is not gooey, and don't bother to wait for them to brown too much.
These cookies, like all cookies, are tasty right out of the oven, but they develop new flavors if you let them sit for 2-3 days in a cookie tin.
I'm cooking a new batch tomorrow (er, today, I guess. 12:47. egads) I'd love to hear how they turn out for others!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
"'Cause I try to climb your steps..."
Good progress today: we've cleared the south exposure of the house, dragged tree crowns and branches into the woods, organized lumber into stacks, and started to dig the dry well. I'm hoping to spend May digging trenches for plumbing and electric, and draining the moat around our castle er... cabin. Oh, and leveling the foundation. And installing a vapor barrier. And buying materials and tools for framing. Whew. It's going to be a rush to get this cabin done by September 1st. Wish me luck and dry days!
It was incredibly satisfying to cut down all of the trees by hand. No chainsaws! I'm hoping to cut and hew the center beam of the house by hand as well -- for looks, if nothing else. And, it is a pleasure to work with yellow birch this time of year; our whole cabin site smells like root bear and sugar. You can see the sap dripping from the stumps like a leaky faucet. Fascinating, but watching a stump bleed reminds me of the cost.
Trevor is learning how to use my camera, so he took this nice photo of the front path to the house. It will be beautiful once the trees leaf out!
Stay tuned.
It was incredibly satisfying to cut down all of the trees by hand. No chainsaws! I'm hoping to cut and hew the center beam of the house by hand as well -- for looks, if nothing else. And, it is a pleasure to work with yellow birch this time of year; our whole cabin site smells like root bear and sugar. You can see the sap dripping from the stumps like a leaky faucet. Fascinating, but watching a stump bleed reminds me of the cost.
Trevor is learning how to use my camera, so he took this nice photo of the front path to the house. It will be beautiful once the trees leaf out!
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A hundred feet in the sky
"...precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside."
-Jonathan Livingston Seagull
God I love that bird. I let my limitations build to an overwhelming pile, and no surprise, it's hard to overcome them when they look back at you en masse. But as the great seagull said, perhaps it's time to put them aside, and let them build my character, rather than be a great opposition.
Lately, my limitations have been mental -- a brick wall in the way of my physical energy and enthusiasm. When my brain is quiet, or positively contemplative, I can leap valleys and climb mountains. Depression hits hard, and pulls at my physical energy in so many ways. I never realized how complex the brain and its emotions were until they became obtrusive. It's a limitation to be worked with, dealt with over time, and sometimes, put aside.
But apart from that, I have much to share regarding the cabin. Beware those on dial-up: many pictures follow.
This is a view from the southwest corner of the cabin site. As you can see, the foundation needs some work. It most certainly is not level. No worries, though -- it's fairly well supported -- just has some frost heave issues. There is also a substantial quantity of wood there already, which I am grateful for.
Our current roommate has been helping me clear the site, and he will be a great asset this summer when we are knee-deep in 16p nails. We felled this birch a few days ago, and it is a good size for the center beam of the house. I plan to use most of the lumber we harvest -- either in the house, or in the wood stove. Waste not...
Obligatory group photo, and the ever-popular Sir Shadow the Magnificent. I've gotten requests for more puppy pictures, and because I simply can't resist, there will be more. To top it off however, is a sure sign of the approaching growing season:
Fly high,
-Adam
-Jonathan Livingston Seagull
God I love that bird. I let my limitations build to an overwhelming pile, and no surprise, it's hard to overcome them when they look back at you en masse. But as the great seagull said, perhaps it's time to put them aside, and let them build my character, rather than be a great opposition.
Lately, my limitations have been mental -- a brick wall in the way of my physical energy and enthusiasm. When my brain is quiet, or positively contemplative, I can leap valleys and climb mountains. Depression hits hard, and pulls at my physical energy in so many ways. I never realized how complex the brain and its emotions were until they became obtrusive. It's a limitation to be worked with, dealt with over time, and sometimes, put aside.
But apart from that, I have much to share regarding the cabin. Beware those on dial-up: many pictures follow.
This is a view from the southwest corner of the cabin site. As you can see, the foundation needs some work. It most certainly is not level. No worries, though -- it's fairly well supported -- just has some frost heave issues. There is also a substantial quantity of wood there already, which I am grateful for.
Our current roommate has been helping me clear the site, and he will be a great asset this summer when we are knee-deep in 16p nails. We felled this birch a few days ago, and it is a good size for the center beam of the house. I plan to use most of the lumber we harvest -- either in the house, or in the wood stove. Waste not...
Obligatory group photo, and the ever-popular Sir Shadow the Magnificent. I've gotten requests for more puppy pictures, and because I simply can't resist, there will be more. To top it off however, is a sure sign of the approaching growing season:
Fly high,-Adam
Saturday, April 18, 2009
And in random things we see a positive path
Lot's of new things going on lately, and I've been enjoying them as best as I can. We've put lovely spinach, lettuce, chive, and pea seeds in our garden this week. Hopefully we'll have a good early-season crop. We've also got a garden site at the new cabin, which Trevor is excitedly planning out. Corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pumpkins may go there. As for our current garden, it will be filled out with our extra wildflower seeds. Next year, we can start anew, and buy lots of seeds.
I've been learning a lot about being a weasel. Yup -- that's right, a weasel. I've been rodent-proofing a chicken coop down the road, because there was a chicken-weasel confrontation earlier this year that ended badly for the fowl. So, lots of hardware cloth and scraps of wood are now covering up the small holes in the coop. Hopefully it keeps the predators at bay. It helps to put yourself in the mindset of a toothy carnivore, lusting for chicken. Mmmm, chicken.
The guitar is proving to be fun to play around with, and a good substitute for my trumpeting habits (which are so noisy, I rarely play it anymore. Weep not, my poor Bach strad. I still love you). I'm attempting to write a story to play music to, and it's a good mentally-challenging activity. Perhaps I'll even sing it for friends, someday.... My brother gratefully lent me his steel-string, which I'm preferring over the classical guitar. It's got such a sweet sound.
I've also got quite a few woodworking projects going; a dining room table, a cutting stand (for bamboo and mats -- longsword practice!), and a bedroom wardrobe. Oh, and more doors. At least I can say that I'm not becoming lazy.
More thoughts, I might post later. No picture you say?
Imagine.
I've been learning a lot about being a weasel. Yup -- that's right, a weasel. I've been rodent-proofing a chicken coop down the road, because there was a chicken-weasel confrontation earlier this year that ended badly for the fowl. So, lots of hardware cloth and scraps of wood are now covering up the small holes in the coop. Hopefully it keeps the predators at bay. It helps to put yourself in the mindset of a toothy carnivore, lusting for chicken. Mmmm, chicken.
The guitar is proving to be fun to play around with, and a good substitute for my trumpeting habits (which are so noisy, I rarely play it anymore. Weep not, my poor Bach strad. I still love you). I'm attempting to write a story to play music to, and it's a good mentally-challenging activity. Perhaps I'll even sing it for friends, someday.... My brother gratefully lent me his steel-string, which I'm preferring over the classical guitar. It's got such a sweet sound.
I've also got quite a few woodworking projects going; a dining room table, a cutting stand (for bamboo and mats -- longsword practice!), and a bedroom wardrobe. Oh, and more doors. At least I can say that I'm not becoming lazy.
More thoughts, I might post later. No picture you say?
Imagine.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Cabins and Canines
I sometimes roll around in the grass and wonder what it would be like to be a dog -- having the twigs scratch my back and the sun warm my belly. I could just let my tongue hang out and smile at the sky. No bills to pay, appointments to keep, cabins to build...
Speaking of cabins, though (and I am excited about building it), I haven't said much to my digital audience about it. So, you're in for a treat! The gang and I will be moving into a small woodsie cabin this fall, which will be heated entirely with wood and will only barely have running water. It's quite exciting, and it will be wonderful to have a space all to ourselves.
The catch: I have 19 weeks to build it.
Woof.
Speaking of cabins, though (and I am excited about building it), I haven't said much to my digital audience about it. So, you're in for a treat! The gang and I will be moving into a small woodsie cabin this fall, which will be heated entirely with wood and will only barely have running water. It's quite exciting, and it will be wonderful to have a space all to ourselves.
The catch: I have 19 weeks to build it.
Yes, I am insane in many ways, but I think this can be done. The foundation is mostly there, I've got some fantastic help, and we already have firewood... but it's still quite the challenge. I enjoy a good challenge, but I seem to be an expert at accumulating them. Anyway, please ooh and ahh at my sketches below (it will help my self-esteem). I've only posted a couple for ease of page loading:
(click for bigger images)
It's late, and I must be moving bed-ward.
(click for bigger images)
Woof.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Glimpses of Joy
Life has been bumpy lately (which is an understatement), but I had an enlightening weekend. I think it was good. I hope it was good. At least, it was a joy to visit family in Montpelier.
And because we all need small glimpses of joy,
Peace,
-Adam
And because we all need small glimpses of joy,
Peace,-Adam
Monday, April 6, 2009
Four Hour Tea Cabinet
I had some spare time on my hands while gluing some closet doors together, so I started a project with scrap wood on a whim. The result: a tea cabinet!
It's just big enough for a box o' Celestial Seasonings, or a jar full of organic peppermint. Tasty! (My current favorite tea is Madagascar Vanilla Red -- which we lovingly call Aslan tea 'cause of the lion on the box). This is the first time I've built a cabinet with glass-paneled doors. The hardware and hinges cost me a total of $11.42, so it's an understatement to say it was cheap! Here's another angle:
I hoped to get out this week and start work on the garden, but the ground is still wet and there's still snow out there. It's going to rain all week, too. I guess the spinach and peas will just have to wait.
It's just big enough for a box o' Celestial Seasonings, or a jar full of organic peppermint. Tasty! (My current favorite tea is Madagascar Vanilla Red -- which we lovingly call Aslan tea 'cause of the lion on the box). This is the first time I've built a cabinet with glass-paneled doors. The hardware and hinges cost me a total of $11.42, so it's an understatement to say it was cheap! Here's another angle:
I hoped to get out this week and start work on the garden, but the ground is still wet and there's still snow out there. It's going to rain all week, too. I guess the spinach and peas will just have to wait.
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