100 documentaries in 2012

Taking a break from my baking posts...here's something I'd like to share with you. We've  been just a bit addicted to documentaries in this house for the past couple of weeks. I've always liked documentaries, but haven't really sought them out. Well, now we're on a roll.

I'm seeking, watching, and enjoying various documentaries... and not planning on stopping any time soon! You never know what you are going to learn. Sometimes documentaries leave me feeling just a bit smarter than the day before. For me, the best source for documentaries is Netflix.

Oh ya....about the 110 documentaries in 2012 thing...it was just an idea I just blurted out...we should watch 100 documentaries in 2012...my husband said...okay...and I then said...okay...and there you have it.

Here's what we've watched so far,and my own opinion of each:

#1  Ride the Divide  http://www.ridethedividemovie.com/about/
the Great Divide Route is a mountain bike route, 2700 miles along the Continental Divide from Canada to New Mexico, USA of which 90% of the route is on unpaved roads ...beautiful scenery, peaceful, extreme endurance, it held my interest til the end, I found myself caring about and routing for participants.

#2   Between the Folds  http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/between-the-folds/
absolutely stunning and mind blowing origami designs...like nothing I ever knew existed!!!... beautiful and mesmerizing art mixed with geometry....very enlightening!

#3   Cycle South  http://paracinema.net/2011/07/cycles-south-1971/
Well, what should I say about this one?! It's rather "groovy" and a little bit "far out"! Filmed in 1971, nothing is politically correct in this one. Nothing majorly insulting...just basically some free love and happiness and female stereo type nonsense. It was really quite humorous! This film was about 3 young men taking  a motorcycle trip as far south as Panama. Some things were staged and were just silly and hokey. We took a chance on this one, got a lot of laughs out of it, but....not really the kind of documentary I'm looking for. Having said that, I was entertained and found myself shaking my head and my jaw dropping open at times. Enough said. LOL! I mean, I'm not sorry I watched it...it was just....well, groovy, outdated and odd.

#4  Sweetgrass  http://sweetgrassthemovie.com/
Montana sheep herders at work, really enjoyed this, scenery was beautiful, very few words throughout film, peaceful, interesting, some foul language at times from the cowboys when they are having a tough time getting sheep to cooperate!!! other than the choice words at times...very good film, held my interest to the end...yes I would reccomend...but not for children's ears!!!

So, do you like documentaries???
Do you have any you would like to recommend???

The bestest, hardest, crunchiest oatmealy, coconuty, dried cranberriest, M &M-y, chocolate chippy, almondyish cookie perfect for dunking in coffee and tea ever!

Okay!

Will you kill me if I suggest a recipe that tastes fantastic but turns hard as heck the next day?!

Seriously people!

This is a really good, tasty, scrumptious, addicting cookie that I just love!

I'm not gonna lie...one day later and these things get harder than woodpecker's lips!

But you know what?

I don't care!

It's worth losing a filling or two!

Ok, all kidding aside...yes these cookies get hard and crunchy. Are they still edible...yes! Is the combination of chocolate, coconut, oats and cranberries awesome...yes! Should you make these anyhow...yes! Should you put on a pot of coffee or tea...yes!

Here's the recipe...you're gonna love it! Come on, just try it..you'll see.

Hey, every single one of these cookies were gobbled up by both my kids, my husband and me...with no complaints. Well, except one...my youngest thinks the dried cranberries are raisins and he hates raisins...which, dried cranberries, raisins...not much difference there. Ok, fine!

By the way, I used coconut flavored M&m's because that's what I had on hand.

You can use plain M&M's or whatever flavor you have on hand! There are some really great options out there these days when it comes to M&M's.

Here's the recipe. I hope you give it a try!

THE HARDEST CRUNCHIEST OATMEAL -FILLED WITH GOODNESS- COOKIE EVER

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup M&M's

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix oats, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining goodness of M&M's, chocolate chips, chopped almonds, dried cranberries and coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoon or cookie scoop onto greased cookie sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for approx. 13 minutes.

Enjoy!

A dusting of snow

Well, we finally got a teeny, tiny bit of snow.

Just enough for my youngest son to make a teeny, tiny little snowman.

:)

Let boys be boys

We are about half way through Christmas vacation and the boys are patiently waiting for snow! In the mean time...it's all about the BB guns and targets. I seriously get a kick out of watching my boys be boys. The neighbor boy who lives across the street from us brought over his Red Ryder BB gun and my son pulled out his brand new BB gun.

They each took turns setting up used tin cans to shoot as targets. The tall handsome kid standing up is my son Everest. Let it be stated that the new BB gun he is holding does not belong to him, but his younger brother Easton. Easton would have a fit if anyone thought the BB gun belonged to anyone but him! The boy kneeling next to him is the neighbor boy.

The little guy you see taking aim here is my son Easton...the proud owner of the new BB gun. Each tin can popped by a BB was closely counted. Of course they HAD to keep score! I have to say, boys are very competitive! They don't get it from me! I am WAY to lax when it comes to sports and competition. Some how that testosterone just shines through and it's always a matter of win or lose. Oh dear!

It's so fun to watch my boys grow up. I really appreciate every moment. They go from Hot Wheels cars to guns in a blink of an eye!

Poppy Seed Cake, a family tradition

Christmas has come and gone! My little family had a peaceful and sweet day! Each of us exchanged and received such thoughtful gifts! It was truly a warm family day.

It did feel a little like something WAS missing, however! I'll tell you what it was...THE SNOW!! Something ELSE was missing as well...the traditional poppy seed cake! I totally dropped the ball on this one! I waited too long to purchase poppyseed filling and I wasn't able to find it at the store the week before Christmas.

I know better than that, but I was lazy and didn't buy it when I should have! I'm crazy like that...sometimes I throw caution to the wind and refuse to buy baking ingredients when they are fully stocked at the grocery store! (hee hee!)

If you've never used poppy seed filling for pastries or cakes...this is what it looks like. It kinda looks like caviar. It has a thick pasty consistency. I could turn this spoon upside down and the filling would just stick to the spoon! Basically it's poppy seeds that are drenched and softened in corn syrup, sugar and water to create a thick filling for pastries of your liking.

The Monday after Christmas there was plenty of poppyseed filling on the grocery shelf and I was able to bake my cake!

Of course, it must be made in a tube pan like this.

Baking with poppy seed for Christmas as well as Easter, is a tradition in my family that goes all the way back to my mother's grandmother...maybe even further...but that's only as far as I know about. I have been eating poppyseed cake for breakfast on Christmas and Easter morning since I was a baby! Every. single. solitary. year!!! It's like breathing...it just IS! It's a part of our family traditions that I have carried on and will continue to carry on until the day I leave this world!

Here's my kitchen by the way. The day I was baking and taking pics I just felt like sharing a photo of the place where I seem to spend most of my time! Now you know where I am most days..right here..cooking, baking, washing dishes, making coffee and so on.

Anyhow, back to the cake...fortunately, my children love this cake! I anticipate them carrying the tradition on when they have their own families. Gee, I hope their future wives like it!!

Our favorite way to eat it...well the only way I've ever ate it, since I can remember...a slice at a time, smeared with butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar...oh yes!

POPPY SEED CAKE

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 can 13 or 14 oz. evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. (1 cup) vegetable oil

1 10 oz. jar poppy seed filling

*(depending where you live, you may also find poppyseed filling in can..the size of a soup can..by the brand Solo. I have used that as well)

Mix together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Check cake for done-ness with toothpick. Let cool in pan. Turn out of pan when cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. Serve plain slices or buttered with a sprinkling of powdered sugar!

Enjoy!