It is no small secret that we love Christmas. Many think it is too commercialized, and they are probably right. But I love everything about it and nothing gets the season started better than our post thanksgiving day annual Christmas tree hunt.
This year we decided to get two trees. One for the basement and one for the main floor. In addition we were able to go with the Gillings and the Farrs, spending time with each family.
Tree number one;
It was a cold and wintry day...it always is near scofield it seems. I only took a few children on this trip because it was the year with the Farr's. When we got there, the wind was blowing, it was lightly snowing and luckily there was snow on the ground (for a true Christmas tree hunt - see My personal Language - it must be cold and snowy).
After much searching we found it;
After about an hour we finally found it. It is perhaps the prettiest tree we have cut (or is harvested now more politically correct?) in the last few years. Following the cutting of the tree we enjoyed some sleigh riding behind a car courtesy of Gavin's Truck.
Tree Number Two;
Past Eureka...Where, What? That's right past Eureka out toward Vernon there are some nice trees. There was no snow this year so technically not a "hunt" but we still did have a little adventure;
The Tree !! The Youngest got to pick this year.
It's tradition to pull the kids on the tree in the snow...this was more of a dried mud pull. But they still loved it.
Caleb Got his first Gun from the Farr's a Red rider BB gun...go ahead and say it...
This was one of the more interesting items. Shifter found a dead deer and chewed in the leg.
Gooseberry Mesa - for Mountain bikers the name evokes images of winding around and through trees while hopping rock ledges, skirting cliff edges and riding one of the prime trails ever created. Little known too most is it's twin; Little Creek Mesa.
While similar in riding, many have suggested that Little Creek rivaled and even surpassed the riding to be had on Gooseberry. The trails are less marked, but for the adventurous in spirit that becomes and indeed is part of the allure that keeps them coming back.
We had ridden Little Creek before, but I broke a rear hub after only a few miles. We went and bought a new rear hub and rim, but with daylight fading we were only able to get in 10 miles or so. We had heard rumor that there are many more miles of trail (actually up to forty according to over the edge sports in Hurricane) so we had to go back.
We didn't end up taking many pictures. We were too busy riding.
After riding much of what little creek has to offer, I guarantee we will be going back again and again!
Mirror Lake is a alpine lake located high in the Uinta (Wasatch forest) Mountains. Every year we try to go as a family but this year kind of got away from us and it wasn't until late in September that we were able to get up there. Usually it is chilly up there this time of year, but the weather ended up being perfect.
S just fishing. Actually I think he was trying to un-snag his line.
C...Pure happiness.
H...at least I caught one.
S...un-snagged and caught a fish.
R...not sure what to think.
R...relaxing.
S...copying sis.
Pretty cool, two cousins fishing.
J was gutting the fish until C came along. I think C was born in the wrong era, he would have thrived as a mountain man.
Hot dogs and S'mores to end the day
Final tally; Over thirty fish caught throughout the day. I think Dad re-tied poles about as many poles. It is not easy being patient fishing with kids. A common occurrence went like this;
Child: I lost my bobber and fly
Dad: How?
Child: Snagged, so I pulled
Dad: Lets re-rig it (often not said with a great amount of patience)
5 minutes later...
Same Child: I lost my bobber and fly again.
Dad: How?
Same Child: Silence
Dad: How? I just did this.
Another Child: She was running through the forest with her pole and tied it up in a tree.
Same child as before: Sorry daddy.
Still with all the re-tying, "my feet are cold", "I fell in the mud", "Help me!"...and so forth.
A Few weeks ago I had the opportunity to Volunteer at a great event called Be Well Utah put on by University of Utah Health Care and Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is a free, fun filled event that is catered toward families.
Mom and the Kids started the day off with a dog walk through Camp Williams.
They got to take a picture with Clifford, who just happened to be a cool guy I work with.
After the Dog walk they went in the museum where C and S were in Heaven with all the weapons and military machinery.
C said that was one of the biggest guns he had ever seen. He wants one.
He also added he wants to save up for a tank when he can drive. (and a motorcycle and mustang he added)
H in her element.
I love this picture because there is so much effort involved.
C's turn.
This guy was a magician where the kids spent over an hour watching him perform and asking questions. This was one of the best family events I have been to. Upstairs had screenings and info for the adults, while the lower level was filled with kids activities.
Another Recipe of the week...Brazilian Cheese Bread.
I love Brazilian food, but especially the cheese bread. The only problem is that it is difficult to make and to find the proper ingredients...Until now. This recipe was shown to me by an amazing cook, good friend and fellow UHSC employee Maren Day .
The best part is; the only ingredient that I didn't have at home was the Tapioca flour, which was simply found at our local maceys. So without further adoo...hailing from the " Our Best Bites " Web site I give you Simple Brazilian cheese rolls.
Of all the foods I fell in love with in Brazil, Pao de Queijo (literally translated to ‘bread of cheese’, how can that not be delicious?) is right up there at the top. And it’s been tormenting my soul for the past 10 years as I’ve tried recipe after recipe trying to duplicate the taste and texture I love. You can buy pre-packaged mixes, but they’re not quite the same as homemade. The problem is that there are several different methods to making these little balls of heaven. A lot of them involve lots of hard to find ingredients, and methods like heating a mixture on the stove, kneading a big messy dough, etc. When I was in Brazil, I learned how to make the most quick and easy version- an ultra fast liquid batter that you just poured into a muffin tin. It’s been driving me crazy that I couldn’t find my recipe or one that was like it. And then a few weeks ago something magical happened. My husband walked in after organizing some junk in the garage and asked me if I wanted a little pink notebook. I knew immediately what it was. It was bursting with little scraps of papers. Scraps of papers with recipe notes on them. I heard the hallelujah chorus. We ate Pao de Queijo about 25 minutes later. And it was heavenly.
If you’ve never had this type of Brazilian cheese bread, it’s tricky to explain. It’s actually not “bread” at all- at least not like we’re used to here in the US. It’s almost more like the texture of a cream puff shell or popover, but with more substance on the inside. The outside is slightly crisp and browned and the inside is airy and chewy. If you’re not familiar with them at all then I want you to be fully informed so you don’t expect an actual yeast bread “roll”. If you do, then you’ll probably think these are super weird and gooey. They’re served at popular Brazilian restaurants, but honestly, while I adore those restaurants, I’ve yet to have a really good Pao de Queijo at any of them. So trust me when I tell you that if you like those (or any of the pre-packaged mixes), you will probably love these homemade ones. And if you know anyone who has ties to Brazil like I do, you are sure to melt their heart with these. Once you see how quick and easy they are you’ll be making them all the time!
The best part is that I have 99% of the ingredients in my house pretty much at all times.
The only semi-strange ingredient in there is Tapioca Flour, and it’s actually easier to find than you might think. It’s a really smooth, soft flour that feels much like cornstarch. It’s made from the ground roots of the cassava plant and it’s gluten free for those of you that care about that :)
A lot of normal grocery stores carry a good selection of Bobs Red Mill products which is the brand I use. Here in Idaho I can always find them at Fred Meyer, near the health food/specialty foods isle. You can also find tapioca flour at Asian markets as it’s used in a lot of Asian cooking, and also at health food stores and places like Whole Foods where you can find a good selection of wheat flour alternatives. Definitely check the gluten free isle of well stocked store. If you live in an area with WINCO grocery stores, people are telling me you can find it in the bulk section (how did not know this?? Thank you readers!) You can’t substitute any other type of flour- the tapioca flour is key, so when you find a good place to buy it, stock up!
Okay, ready for easy? You can prep these in about 60 seconds. Seriously. Put everything but the cheese in the blender and blend until smooth.
Then add in your cheese and pulse the blender one or two times. I like to break it up a bit and mix it in, but not pulverize it. And you can be creative here. I like a mixture of Parmesan and sharp cheddar. It’s important to use cheese that has a stronger flavor because it’s really the only flavor you’re putting in there and if it’s too mild I’ve found the rolls turn out pretty bland. But play around with it and find your perfect mix. You can also add more or less cheese, it’s pretty flexible.
Now just take your blender and pour the batter into little mini-muffin tins. It’s a very thin batter so pour slowly!
I like to sprinkle a little more parmesan on top. Because I like to sprinkle a little parmesan on top of just about everything. I inherited that from my father, who puts parmesan on just about everything he makes. A little sprinkle of kosher salt is also yummy.
Recently I was browsing food blogs and was excited to see a nearly identical recipe on Bewitching Kitchen. She mentioned putting rosemary in there, which at first I thought sounded a little strange. Not because I don’t think it would taste good, but because I’d never had pao de queijo with any type of herb before. I tried it just for kicks and man was it good! You can either sprinkle a little dried or fresh rosemary on top, or blend it right in the batter. Loved that addition.
Then you pop these babies in a hot oven and watch them do their magic. They puff up into perfectly little bubbly golden balls of cheesy goodness. How’s that for a descriptive sentence?
You want to cook them just until they’re set on top and barely golden. If you over cook them, the tops actually look pretty similar, but you can tell by the bottoms. Case in point:
And don’t worry if the tops fall in, that happens sometimes- they still taste the same!
Eating Pao De Queijo warm is a definite must. I’ll just say that right now. As soon as they’re cool enough to handle, bust one open and eat it.
They’ll be a little crispy on the outside and soft, airy, and tender on the inside. Almost a little chewy. Some of them are even kind of hollow. This version is definitely less dense than the kneaded dough variety.
I dare you to just eat one. This recipe is a little dangerous.
Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free! Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!
Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!} These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.
Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.
Hidden atop American Fork canyon is a short 3.5 mile beautiful loop that passes through three large meadows, a spring and a pond, not to mention a elk herd lives in the vicinity and can be heard frequently bugling in the trees. Last Saturday we took the kids on this hike and they loved it.
See how happy S Looks!!
R (the littlest) is so happy!
Is this the fam? Yes it is.
We make the outdoors look good! Or at least D'mom does.
The Hill we are descending are where the Elk Herd is frequently found.
Tall flowers, good picture of E.
The Foliage is so thick and tall you can't see S and R in front of D'mom.
It was a great hike, even the youngest were able to hike the entire way with minimal whining.
