The Cabin: Documented

Caption Contest

Please submit your favorite caption for the following picture. Winner gets... delicious food 4 nights a week for the rest of the semester :)

Cabin Weekend!

I decided to post some general information about our cabin trip on the blog to spare me the stress of passing out individual assignments and instructions to all of you. Everyone has a food assignment. If for some reason you can't bring the item(s) or you feel like your assignment is unfair, let me know before Friday so I can make other arrangements. You will need to bring enough of your item for 15 hearty eaters (We will work up an appetite in the snow). Here is the menu/list of assignments:

Friday Dinner-- Papa Murphy's Pizza
*Each person contributes $4
*Drink Mix: Emily Allred

Saturday Breakfast-- French Toast
*Texas Toast: Scott
*Cinnamon: Lindsay
*Eggs: Sarah
*Milk: Stephanie and Justin
*Sausage: Derrall
*Orange Juice: Breanna

Saturday Lunch-- BLT's
*Bread: Emily Zimmerman
*Mayo: Sarah
*Bacon: Kevin
*Lettuce: Breanna
*Tomato: Melissa
*Hot Cocoa: Lindsay
*Chips: CJ

Saturday Dinner-- An Awesome Meal Provided by our own Emily Allred

Snacks--
*Marshmallows: Melissa
*Graham Crackers: Emily Zimmerman
*Chocolate: Shaun(if you're planning on coming?)/ Lindsay
*Popcorn: Scott
*Fruit: Stephanie and Justin
*And of course you are welcome to bring any other snack food you may want to eat/share.

Also, there have been some questions about what each of you need to pack. Aside from the basic toiletries/things that you will need for an overnight activity, here are some general guidelines/things to consider:

*Pillow, blanket &/ sleeping bag (this is a must)
*Sled (if you have one that you want to bring)
*Snow Gear: coat, boots, gloves, beanie, pants that can get wet, etc.
*We take our shoes off when we're in the cabin, so you will want to pack a pair of socks for indoor cabin use (to keep your feet warm/protected/semi-clean)
*Games to play
*There is a tv with a dvd player if you want to bring a movie
*There are bathrooms with showers if people want to use them while we're up there. You will be responsible for your own toiletries if you choose to shower.

Directions--
If it's alright with everyone, I'd like to leave Provo around 4:30 pm. Let me know if there is a conflict for anyone and we can rearrange the schedule. Breanna and Emily will head up a little later (at around 6) if anyone wants to come up with them (just let me know, please). We will caravan up to the cabin, but if we get separated (or if you’re like me and you just like to know where you’re going), here are some general instructions:

*Drive up Provo Canyon until you get to Heber

*Turn left onto Main Street/UT-189 N in Heber and stay on that road all the way through (and out of) town. (We will make a quick stop here to pick up our pizza)

*Take a right on Highway 32. This road takes you up the hill to Francis.

*At the 4-way stop in Francis, turn left heading north on the 32. This road takes you into Kamas.

*Continue on the same road until you come to a blinking yellow light and see the fire station on your left. At this point, turn right onto the 150 (toward Mirror Lake).

*You’ll drive a little way out of the town. Watch for Mile Marker 3 on the right side of the road.

*IMMEDIATELY after you hit Mile Marker 3, turn right. Be careful because the turn comes up fast. I have driven to the cabin a million times and sometimes I still miss it.

*After turning right, follow the dirt road to the left until you get to an iron fence on the right side of the road. At this point, we’ve made it to the bottom of the mountain.

I think that's everything, people. Let me know if you have any questions. I think it's gonna be an awesome weekend. You'll want to bring your cameras!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

By popular demand, here is my famous chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crisco/shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

mix together thoroughly, then add:

1 1/4 cup flour
Lots of chocolate chips

Mix well. I actually like to add more flour than specified so the dough is thick and I can knead it with my hands. I think it makes the cookies bake a little thicker which I like.

Place in oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Pull them out when the tops of the cookies are just barely golden brown.

A Public Retraction

I like to be right. I pride myself on being right a lot. I'd like to claim that it's all genetic (I can only remember my father being completely wrong twice in my entire life) but really, I just like it. That being said, when I am wrong, I like to think that I'm a big enough person to admit it.

You see, you may remember that we had a discussion on baking. And I was quite adamant that cookies made with shortening could never be as delicious as cookies made with real butter. Then I had Derrall's cookies on Friday night when the EQ doorbell ditched us.

And this is the part where I admit that I was wrong. In fact, I may even request a copy of that recipe because, "boy oh boy" were they delicious. I suppose that on occasion, shortening cookies may equal, or, dare I say, trump butter ones.

The end.

PS:  y'all should check out my blog.. it's in it's early stages, but I like it :) In Pursuit of Domestic Goddessness

Chubby Bunny

Hello again fellow dinner group people! As many of you know, last Sunday we carried out an exciting and dangerous activity called "chubby bunny." Derrall won with sixteen marshmallows, but Scott gave him a run for his money with fifteen. The rest of us choked around eight, but Adam was there as medical support, so we felt reasonably safe. If any of you ever just really want a marshmallow, please stop by my place and pick up a bag or two (we may have over-estimated our abilities when buying marshmallows).

The beginning--before Lindsay and I had to throw the towel in.

Very cute both of you.

The top two competitors.

I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite, the dino-squirrel in action.

Playing a strategy game that continues to haunt me.

Apparently Kevin can fit an apple in his mouth.

I'm fairly certain these pictures are a firm testament to how incredibly cool we are, and how incredibly cool dinner group is--I like to think of these sorts of things as the "dinner group underground."

Happy Birthday Derrall!

The Pirates of the Dinner Group never disappoint. Thanks to Lynda, Kevin, and Sarah, we had yet another fabulous birthday dinner group celebration, complete with party hats, mood music, and cupcakes. Here are some pictures from the event:

Captain Heath, our fearless leader, fixin' to run his cutlass through them hornswaggled cupcakes!

Thar he blows!

And last, but not least, here is the awesome birthday video I was telling all of you about:

P.S. I have watched this video so many times. Something about it just tickles me. Enjoy!