more Colorado...

We spent a lovely afternoon at the zoo in Colorado Springs - the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We actually haven't been to a zoo in several years, and the girls enjoyed it immensely. So did the grown-ups. Until we the rain rolled in... then it was time to go!


this is my ho-hum face...




yes, I live here... who are you?




I'm beautiful, I know...




grrrrrrrrrrrrr!




got crumbs? (for me??)




pretty in pink bokeh...




I see you...

{ thistle }

Self Portrait Challenge { Watching Rainbows }

I saw the title to this song at the beginning of the month, and thought, "What are my chances that we'll have a rainbow in May for me to use for this challenge? Not likely."





This was last night. Yep.

For Self Portrait Challenge's theme for May - Beatles' Songs

Colorado

We greatly enjoyed our trip to Colorado this past week. With summer coming on in Texas, we had fun going back in time (for us) to sweaters and jackets and gloves.


before we left our home state, we stopped here:




this picturesque setting was on our way to the Florissant Fossil Beds...




found at the Cripple Creek District Museum...










the view from above Cripple Creek - the Sangre de Cristo Mountains...

she's leaving home

for Self Portrait Challenge - May theme: Beatles' Songs

from our trip to Colorado this past week...

I love a good deal...

HUGE shop sale - 30-50% off all ready-to-ship items!
Purchases will ship after May 22nd, when I'm back from vacation...

sweet pastel chic

limited edition... I love this fabric, wish I had more!

find it here in my etsy shop...

homemade granola bars

This recipe came from King Arthur Flour, and I modified it a bit. My version is below.


Homemade Granola Bars

1 2/3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats (dry oatmeal, for those new to cooking!)
3/4 c. brown sugar
another 1/3. c oats, put in a blender or nut grinder and pulse until turned to flour consistency
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. nuts (I used a combination of pecans and almonds)
1 c. dried cranberries, chopped up in a food processor
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. water

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including nuts and dried fruit.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread evenly in a lightly greased 9x13 pan, then press the mixture firmly into the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 325°, until they're just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Use a knife or spatula to cut into bars while they're still warm. Let cool most of the way before removing from the pan, or they'll crumble. However, if they stick in the pan, you can warm them back up a little to soften them for removing.


These can be customized to your own tastes, with different dried fruits (cherries, blueberries, apples, etc.), different nut combinations (don't forget coconut!), and less sugar. Next time, I'm going to try reducing the fat by substituting applesauce for half of the butter. These are gluten-free - bonus!