longest blog for the longest road trip ever!!!

we had a lot to do before we started on the longest road trip known to mankind.  we wanted to eat as many meals with this little one:

 she is really good at picking up her own food and even learned how to say "buh-bye" for us.  so sad!

then we took ambie to disneyland since she feels like she's never been.  it was awesome.  typod had to miss practice and we had to postpone our trip by a day, but it was worth it.

welcome to the park! (we're still sad andie didn't come and that we didn't take cheesy pics in the california adventure letters)

(you wouldn't get it, but it's funny... trust me)

all of ambie's years on the space really paid off for this pic

who knew the teacups could be this much fun?

:)
i'm not sure if he really thought he could pull the sword out or not.

bffs

you have no idea how many versions of this pic i have on my computer, well, with various bevs

cheers!  (this would have tasted way better with a turkey leg)

we partied all night at disneyland and then we had to wake up early and pack and say goodbye and drive for 9 hours to stay with our utah bffs!  m-dawg set up the timer to capture this lovely:

thanks again for letting us stay with you and use all of your stuff!  you guys are the best!  when you are out in milwaukee looking for a place to stay while michael goes to marquette you can totally stay with us!

then in the morning we woke up and ate breakfast with these two at our favorite kneeder's:

don't worry, they got to go back home and back to bed

(sick!  i hate driving!)

then my favorite part of the trip.  this is like 20 hours into the drive.  we're looking for something to eat in iowa and we turn the corner to see this:

that is right.  the world's largest.  and i'm pretty sure it's true.  they had everything in there.  mcdonalds, wendys, taco bell a restaurant, a bowling alley, a mall, a group of amish teenagers in full gear and more trucker hats than even ashton kutcher could handle.

then we got to wisconsin and had to try our first white castle:

it was the bomb.  and so is wisconsin.  you should come visit sometime.

um, in other news:  we've already moved from our first place, so if you have that address toss it.  we have a new one.  and our apt is awesome and it's coming along.  all of our stuff arrived safely, except for one bowl.  thanks again manda!  we're going to take you to souplantation the next time we're in california.  i'll post some pics of our place as soon as i think it's guest ready.

okay, i think that's it.  we miss all of our fans and readers.  we can't wait to see you guys at thanksgiving.  or sooner if you want to come out and try the world's greatest frozen custard or meet the friendliest people from craigslist.

easter weekend

we started the weekend at the aquarium of the pacific.  i guess everyone else in long beach thought that they would do the same.  the place was packed!  but we still got to see all the fish, sea lions, etc.

the gang's all here!

fishy family shot:

amber loves whales: 

and baby loves sea anemones and prehistoric creatures:

david's first aquarium trip:

andie and the stingrays:

hahaha:

baby's first easter egg dying:

pros:

kobe's favorite teppanyaki spot:

loves it:

baby loves japanese food:

and bunnies!

nothing says easter brunch like hot dogs and 4 lbs of sees:

we had a great easter and although david 1 has all of the official easter portraits and egg hunt pics, i think you get the idea.

also, moving update!  we're moving to milwaukee, wi in about a month or so... so get ready to come visit some beer museums and dairies.

conference

 last weekend we went to salt lake for conference and to spend a little bit of time with andelish, jenna and the other nielsens.

and surprise surpise it snowed friday and saturday and was sunny, but freezing on sunday.  oh, the good old days.

and these ladies let us tag along all weekend.  

typod working his penguin sweater.

andelish loving her rio.  too bad jimmy johns was closed on sunday!

and lovely crown burger.  notice the gargoyle.  nbd.

tidepools

while our utah nephews were in town a few weeks ago, we were able to spend an afternoon with them at the tidepools.

this is clark after he had some time to rest and get enough energy to look as some sea creatures.

drew was far less hesitant to get into the pools and pick up some mussels.

after taking this pic we realized we really need to tan some more.

and this is typod with his kanye kate spades on.  loving the beach.

we had a great time with our little utah nephews that we never get to see.  i wish we had some pictures from creed's blessing that was the following day, but we don't.  in any case, it was a beautiful blessing and it was so fun to have all of our nieces and nephews in the same place!

cupcake week

this week is cupcake week and today i am posting my favorite banana bread recipe as cupcakes.  i've tried dozens of recipes and my grandma's recipe is still the best- it always turns out just right. 

the recipe:

½ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 cups smashed bananas

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts

½ cup water

 topping:

3 oz of melted bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.  Prepare muffin tins with liners (makes 24 cupcakes).  Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and blend until barely mixed  Sift the dry ingredients and gradually add them to the shortening mixture.  Add bananas, vanilla, nuts and water as needed to create proper consistency (should be runny, that's what makes them moist).  Bake for 23 minutes.  The tops should be golden brown.  Let the cupcakes cool and if so desired top with the melted chocolate.  I prefer mine with sugared butter, so do whatever you want.

next i'm trying the strawberry sprinkles cupcake recipe.  i just can't decide how to frost them.

next cookie

This next cookie recipe is great if you want to work out while you bake.  Everything has to be mixed by hand--everything!  It takes a while and a lot of effort, but it creates a better, more tender crumb.  So, if that's what you're going for than this is your cookie:

More Traditional Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

ingredients:

1 ½ cup butter (very room temperature)

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

2 eggs

4 cups flour

2 tbs baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups walnuts, chopped

1 24 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

 directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter with sugars in a large mixing bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon, this should take about 10 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl and gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Mix together until just barely incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.  Spoon out onto cookie sheets, about 2 oz of dough per cookie and bake for 13 minutes.

*note: if you want your cookies to be more uniform in shape roll in your hands before putting them on your ungreased cookie sheet

bake off

lately i've been editing my recipes and tossing the ones that were not the best.  i've decided that i'm going to do my own version of tyler's ultimate and figure out which ones of my recipes are "the ultimate."  this week i'm trying out some of my chocolate chip cookie recipes.  first up: 

(photography by amber hansen)

The Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookie

Adapted from David Leite via The New York Times

Takes: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours chilling

Makes: 2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

 ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour*

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content

Sea salt

directions: 

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

 2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and try to incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. [Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.]

 3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

 4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm.  Or if you can wait.  Let cool completely on a rack and then store in an airtight container.

 * I should have used Valrhona feves, but I didn't feel like going to Sur La Table, so I just used Guittard 62% chocolate disks, found at Bristol Farms.  They worked just fine, but Valrhona is definitely a better tasting chocolate.  If you can't find the big disks, I've heard that Ghiradeli makes larger chocolate chips that you can find at the market and those would probably work just fine.

* To make pastry or cake flour just sift together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch.  Obviously makes 2 cups.

I would rate these cookies a 9.5.  I think they would be even better with darker chocolate.  Some of my taste-testers preferred the cookies made without the sea salt, but I liked the salty cookies.  Up to you I guess.  But if I were you, I would definitely try some with salt.

Up next.  A softer chocolate chip cookie with walnuts.