Vacation Recap: Day 1

Our trip had a bit of rough start with both of our flights out west being delayed, so we didn't get to Salt Lake City until 2:30 AM.  We slept in our hotel for a few hours and then left to drive to the Grand Tetons Tuesday morning.  We really enjoyed the drive because we were able to see so many pretty views of the mountains we were driving through.

an overlook we stopped at in Wyoming

We stopped in Jackson Hole for lunch and some groceries and then made our way into Grand Teton National Park.  We couldn't get over how beautiful the Tetons are!  You can see the mountains pretty much the whole time you're driving through the park on highway 89 (the main road that goes through the park).

the view of the Tetons from the car

We stopped at Jenny Lake and paid for a boat to take us across the lake.  From there we hiked to Inspiration Point, which looks over Jenny Lake.

the view of Jenny Lake from Inspiration Point

The hike followed this river/stream that was super high because of either rain or melting snow?  Not really sure which.  Most of the bridges were closed because the water was so high.  Because the bridges were out, we got turned around and ended up doing this part of the hike twice in order to get to the next trail we wanted.  Whoops.

the rushing water was so powerful and loud!

Once we hiked to Inspiration Point, then back to the boat dock, and then back up again, we finally made it to Hidden Falls.  We both really love waterfalls, so we loved seeing this one!

Hidden Falls

After Hidden Falls, we hiked back around the lake instead of taking the boat back.  It was pretty to be right next to the lake hiking, except for where the lake had washed the trail out and we had to climb over rocks and fallen trees.

hiking along Jenny Lake

We thought total we were going to hike about 2.5 miles, which was great because it was our first day, we had started in the late afternoon, and Caleb wanted it to be an easier day for me to start off with.  By the time we got back to the trail head, we saw that because of the bridges being out and having to go a different way (plus doing the first hike x2) we ended up doing 4.5 miles.  It was longer than I had anticipated, and my feet were throbbing because I hadn't broken in my new hiking shoes enough, but we thought it was such a fun hike!  We're really glad we did it and would recommend it.

the awesome view of the lake when we got back to the first side!

We got in the car and started heading to the Signal Mountain Lodge area.  On the way we saw a ton of cars stopped along the road, so we pulled over and saw this bear at the edge of the woods!

That black blob is the bear.  It never really moved.

We finished our drive to Signal Mountain Lodge, which is on the south part of Jackson Lake.  We had dinner at one of the restaurants there with this beautiful view.

can't get over how beautiful the mountains are!

we loved having such a gorgeous view during dinner 

Caleb tried a bison burger for dinner.  He liked it. 

We were pretty tired from flying through the night, not getting much sleep, and from hiking, so we went to bed pretty early.  We stayed at the Signal Mountain Lodge and were really pleased with our room.

the sun beginning to set

We loved our first day and thought it started off our trip really well.  If you ever go to Yellowstone, definitely take the time to drive through the Tetons - they are so beautiful!!

S'mores Cookie Bars

We are home!  We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to tell you about it!  This week I'll be posting about our trip and pictures of what we saw, but first I need to sort through all of our pictures, work on the laundry that is exploding out of our laundry room, and get some food back in our fridge.  So here is a recipe that I tried right before we left.  One of the things on my summer bucket list (which is still only on paper and not yet in blog form) is to make s'mores inspired desserts.  This was the first one that I've tried and because it was so good I can't wait to make more s'mores desserts!

S'mores Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff

In large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.  Add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half.  Press one half into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Place chocolate bars over dough.  Two king-sized Hershey bars should fit perfectly side by side.  Spread the marshmallow creme over the chocolate bars. Place remaining dough in a single layer over the marshmallow creme (I flattened the dough into small shingles and laid them next to each other until the marshmallow creme layer was covered).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.  Makes 16 cookie bars.


source:  recipe from lovin' from the oven

Vacation Time!

Today we're leaving for our vacation!  We're flying out west to spend some time in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.  We are SO excited!  I'll be taking a break from blogging for the week so we can just enjoy being together.  We'll of course be doing a lot of hiking and being outside and I want to soak up every minute of it!  I hope we have everything we need because we're heading to the airport in just a little bit.

lists!

hiking shoes

bear bell

lots of maps.

day pack

I hope everyone has a great week!  I'll be back in touch next week and will catch up on all of your blogs then!

Pink Lemonade Popsicles

Yesterday I came home from the pool and was so glad I had a homemade popsicle waiting for me in the freezer.  These popsicles only take about 4 minutes to mix up and about 4 hours to freeze.  So refreshing for a summer day!

Pink Lemonade Popsicles
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
7/8 cup water
3 strawberries, hulled (fresh or frozen)

Blend lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in blender.  Pour in water and blend until well combined.  Add strawberries and blend until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into popsicle molds.  Cover and freeze for 4 hours.  After 1 hour, place popsicle sticks in and continue to freeze the remaining 3 hours.  Makes 4 popsicles.


source:  recipe slightly altered from Ice Pops, by Shelly Kaldunski

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

After I made raspberry white chocolate muffins last week, I didn't know what to do with the leftover raspberries.  Then joy the baker saved the day by blogging this crumble recipe.  I love how well the sweet peaches go with the tartness of the raspberries.  Would you judge me if I ate this for breakfast?  Because I did.  It was delicious.

Peach and Raspberry Crumble
5-6 medium ripe peaches, sliced
1 cup fresh raspberries (or thaw and drain frozen ones)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Place sliced peaches and raspberries in an 8x8 baking dish.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.  Work together the flour mixture and the butter until it's crumbly.  Toss 1 cup of this mixture into the baking dish with the peaches and raspberries.  Stir together loosely.  Spread fruit evenly in dish and top with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees until fruit is juicy and bubbling, and top of the crumble is slightly browned and crisp, about 30 minutes.

source:  recipe from joy the baker

DIY Chan Luu Wrap Bracelet

A while back I posted about a wrap bracelet I made very similar to the Chan Luu wrap bracelets.

my wrap bracelet

I had some requests for a tutorial, but since I am terrible with giving instructions for crafts, I found some tutorials elsewhere on the web that were good.  So, if you want your own Chan Luu bracelet without the price tag, here are some links to get you started!  I chose several tutorials because they vary in length and detail of instruction, so hopefully at least one of these suits your style of learning.

Simple instructions and close-up pictures of how your bracelet should look each step:  here

photo via craftaytaylor

A YouTube video with clear instructions and a close-up of how to thread the beads:  here

A video with a close-up of threading the beads with written instructions:  here

photo via sewpetitegal

A video with very detailed instructions, but not as close-up on how to thread the beads:  here

photo via makebraceletsblog

I actually think checking out each of these would be the most beneficial, because they are all a little different and choose to use different beads and string.  Let me know if you make one and how it turns out!  Happy Bracelet Making!

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

These would make a great gift, but we've been selfish.

My mother-in-law sent us some cucumbers and zucchini from her garden, and I immediately was thinking of what I could bake with the zucchini.  Last time I made this banana zucchini bread, so I wanted to switch it up this time.  Then I remembered something I had put on a list (of course) of recipes I wanted to try. They are seriously the best thing I've eaten in a while.  The Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream at Ben & Jerry's over the weekend was a close second, but these cookie sandwiches are telling Little Debbie and her oatmeal creme pies to move on over. You can get the template for the labels (here).

I love the texture of the nuts, oats, and zucchini.

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Beat 1 stick of butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Beat flour mixture into butter mixture.  Stir in zucchini, oats, and pecans.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, in balls of about 2 Tbsp and placing about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Beat together remaining 1/2 stick of butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Once cookies are cool, spread filling onto the flat side of one cookie, and sandwich with another cookie.  Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.  To keep fresh, place in Ziploc bags or airtight container and store in fridge.  Makes 10-14 sandwiches.

source: recipe slightly altered from Martha Stewart Living, March 2011

I've linked up with sweet as sugar cookies!