Three in one: Nutty for Oats Cookies

In our house, the end of one batch of cookies brings about a great culinary conundrum: What kind of cookies to bake next? My favorite cookies are chocolate chip. My husband's favorite: peanut butter. Oatmeal are always a good choice because they're kind of healthy since they're made with oatmeal and fruit. What to do? What to do?

We finished off the chocolate chip cookies a couple of weeks ago, the double fudge brownies have been eaten or given away, so I began looking through cook books trying to find a new cookie recipe to try. Then I happened upon Nutty for Oats Cookies in King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking. These cookies promised the best of three worlds: peanut butter, chocolate chip, and oatmeal. Not to mention they're fairly easy to throw together.

I began by getting the baking sheets ready, simply lining them with parchment paper. With the oven preheating to 350 degrees, I started mixing the ingredients.

Like almost every other cookie, you have to cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. This recipe also requires creaming the peanut butter, salt, and baking soda. Then I added two eggs.

I had just enough peanut butter for the recipe...

Not sure how I'll handle a week without peanut butter (at least there's cashew butter in the fridge!)...

The batter before you add the oat flour.

Next, I ground up 1 cup of old-fashioned oats in the food processor, and mixed the ground up oats and whole oats with the butter/sugar mixture.

A mini food processor is great for grinding up the oats.

The batter before the addition of chocolate/raisins.

At this point I had to alter the recipe. I didn't have the two cups of chocolate chips called for by the recipe, so I divided the batter in half. In one half, I added a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips, and then added a cup of raisins to the other half. Two kinds of cookies from one basic batter!

Chocolate cookie before baking.

Raisin cookie before baking.

First, I baked the chocolate chip cookies for 11 minutes. The cookies just started to brown when I pulled them from the oven. Usually, I let cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the pans, and then transfer them to a rack to cool. This recipe calls for letting the cookies cool completely on the pan. I think this is because the cookies aren't quite cooked all the way through when you pull them from the oven, and they need the heat of the pan to finish baking. Not one to mess up a batch of cookies, I followed the recipe's instructions.

I transferred the first cookies to a rack after they cooled so I could finish the next batch.

Then I finished up by baking the raisin batch.

These cookies are really really really good, especially the chocolate chip version. Since I used bittersweet chocolate, they weren't super sweet, but you could really appreciate the peanut butter and chocolate flavor. They are thick, soft and chewy-- everything a cookie should be. (Not sure what the appeal of eating a crunchy cookie is, they're basically just a cracker at that point).

Here's the measurements for the ingredients. I really hope you try these out!

King Arthur Flour's Nutty for Oats Cookies
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips (may substitute dry fruit)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Mix in the oats, and then add the chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon (or small ice cream scoop) drop the cookies onto the baking pan.

Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges just start to brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan.

Thinking outside the box: Double Fudge Brownies

Stuck in a rut?  Sick of the same ol' same 'ol? Think outside the box! The brownie mix box, that is.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that until last Sunday I had never made brownies from scratch (blondies, yes, chocolate brownies, no). Why did I opt for the convenience of a Duncan Hines mix instead of the made-from-scratch version for the first couple of decades of my existence? Well, brownies from a box were easy, and they were pretty darn tasty and chewy and soft. However, after making a batch of made from scratch double-fudge brownies, I don't think I'll be reaching for a box of mix anytime soon.

The surprising thing about these brownies is that they are made with whole wheat flour. But you can't taste the difference at all. These brownies are moist with a deep dense chocolate flavor, and they don't taste like health food. (In fact, they are just as fattening as other brownies, but knowing they're whole wheat can make you feel better about eating one). I followed the recipe in the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.

Start by greasing a 9X13 inch pan. (The recipe claims you can get two dozen servings, but I like BIG brownies so I only got 12 brownies out of the batch). Set it aside and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Next, melt two sticks of butter in a pot.

Once those are melted, you stir in two cups of brown sugar.

After the brown sugar has dissolved into the butter, return the sauce pan to the burner until it is heated through and bubbling. Then, remove the mixture from the heat and add in your cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, and salt mixture, and then add the vanilla.

Stir that until it's well combined. Let that mixture cool until it feels like warm bath water (I waited at least five minutes), then whisk in your eggs...

... and then stir in the flour...

... and then add two cups of semisweet chocolate chips.

Once everything is well combined (and before you eat all of this yummy gooey batter)...

Pour the mixture into your prepared 9X13 dish, and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

When it comes out, it will look like this:

  Once they're cooked, set them on a rack to cool completely and (then came the really really hard part)...

LET THEM SIT OVERNIGHT.

DO NOT EAT THEM RIGHT AWAY.

"And why do I have to leave them be overnight?" you ask. "Why? Now that I've spent the last hour of my life pouring my heart and soul into homemade brownies and now you're telling me I have to wait?"

Because, according to folks of King Arthur, the whole wheat flour will benefit significantly from allowing to rest and the bran soften. Did the overnight rest help? Well, let's just say I wasn't going to put all this time into the brownies, not follow directions, and then be disappointed.

So the next night after dinner, it was time to taste the brownies. Unfortunately, I was getting over a head cold so my nose was a bit stuffy and my taste buds were blunted, so I couldn't give an accurate taste test.I cut myself a small piece, and even with hampered taste and smell senses, these were really really good. My husband also really enjoyed them.

So, this time thinking outside of the box was a pretty good idea. Bye bye Duncan Hines, Pillsbury, and Betty Crocker mixes. It's time for me to move on to "made from scratch."

Here are the ingredients and measurements for King Arthur Flour's Double Fudge Brownies.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups of packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa (I used unsweetened because that's all I had in the pantry)
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp espresso powder-optional (I used instant coffee granules)
1 Tbsp. of vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of traditional whole wheat flour
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips

Cola Chicken

I'm about to share with you one of the easiest and tastiest ways to make chicken. This dish is sweet with a little bit of southern twang, and is so so simple. It's called Cola Chicken.

Cola Chicken is kind of like BBQ chicken- I like to serve it on sandwich buns with fries. It's also great served over a baked sweet potato.


My mom turned me onto this recipe about a year ago (she may have gotten it from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). You need four ingredients: chicken, an onion, ketchup, and a can of Coca-Cola. I've heard Diet Coke and Coke Zero work as well, but I try to avoid artificial sweeteners when I can, opting for the calorie-laden, sugar laced, pure and classic Coke. 


There are two ways to cook it: the skillet or the slow cooker. I chose the slow cooker method today since I spent all day at work (we're hosting a volleyball tournament) and my dear husband had to put the ingredients together. These were my instructions to him:

Cola Chicken (Slow cooker)
Put four frozen chicken breasts (you could use fresh) in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the sliced onion on top of the chicken.
Pour in one cup of ketchup.
Add the can of Coca-Cola.
Turn the slow cooker on low and cover.

By the time I get home the chicken will have cooked on low for about six hours. Now, all I have to do when I get to the house is take the lid off the slow cooker, shred the chicken with a couple of forks, and let it cook with the lid off until the liquid reduces and forms a sauce. In the meantime, I'll bake up some fries. A  perfect meal to sit down with in front of the TV and watch Georgia beat South Carolina!

Cola Chicken (Skillet)
The skillet method of cooking goes a little faster, and takes a little over an hour. Basically, you add all of the ingredients to a skillet you've set on medium heat. Put the lid on the skillet and cook for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid, shred the chicken, and cook until the liquid reduces and you get the consistency you like for a sauce (15-30 more minutes).

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies

Yesterday I had the morning free, so I decided to bake some treats. Not in the mood for cookies, I hunted for something soft and chewy. I pulled out my file of magazine recipes and decided to try Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies from Bon Appetit magazine. One of my favorite treats growing up were the blondies my parents would bake once in a while. We usually had regular brownies on hand (easy to bake since they came from a box), but blondies were always a nice change of pace.

What attracted me to this recipe was that it included peanuts (yum) and bittersweet chocolate. I tend to be more of a semi-sweet girl, but thought it would be good to try something different.

First things first: prepare the baking pan. Butter and flour an 8x8 by 2-inch deep metal pan and set aside. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.

Then melt a stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat.


Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the brown sugar.

*My brown sugar wasn't "golden" as the recipe called for, so my blondies turned out to be a "dirty" blond instead of "golden" blond. They were still good :-).*


Take that mixture off the heat and let it cool for two minutes (so they eggs won't scramble when you add them to the batter).


Then, add your eggs and vanilla to the brown sugar and butter, and mix those together. Now you're ready to add the dry ingredients.

Once the dry ingredients are completely mixed into the butter mixture, add half of the peanuts and half of the chocolate chips.

Mix those in...
Pour the batter into the baking pan, and top with the remaining peanuts and chocolate (don't worry, I won't tell if you add more chocolate than the recipe calls for).

Then pop the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies should come out clean).



Let them cool and then serve.

Recipe for Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies from Bon Appetit

My Thoughts: These blondies are good, but mine didn't turn out quite as tall as the one in the photo (maybe my baking powder is losing its lift). These would be great to serve to someone who doesn't have a huge sweet tooth. The bittersweet chocolate and the peanuts make the blondies rich without making them super sweet. As suggested by Bon Appetit, they would make a really good base for a sundae with the addition of ice cream and sauce. Personally, I would have liked to have eaten my treat with a latte or some kind of sweet hot beverage-- something to balance the not-so-sweet dessert.

The Busy-ness Begins (slow-cooker BBQ beans & sausage)

Well, it finally happened. After the lazy months of summer, having every night and weekend free (and every Friday afternoon), the chaos hit. The quiet campus became a beehive of activity, with the bees (I mean students) bringing on busy-ness for me. In addition to working more nights and weekends, this means several things on the Goode kitchen front:

1. Limited time for experimental baking (sorry, Rose! The Bread Bible won't be getting its weekly use for a few months)
2. Late dinners (which equals me being grouchy and wanting dinner the minute I walk in the door)
3. Dear hubby still expecting dinner every night (not that he won't cook, I just prefer to eat my cooking :-))

Thus, my recipe hunting has taken a new turn to slow cooker recipes. Not only is the slow cooker super easy to use, it's also a chance for me to put the only stainless steel appliance I own on the counter for display.

I have to say that I'm still a bit leery of using the slow cooker- I guess it's because I never cooked with one until about a year ago, so I'm not quite sure how the meal will turn out. My limited experience has resulted in weirdly-textured meat, and an unfortunate, gritty fiasco with black bean soup (lesson learned: if you cook dry beans, don't add the salt until AFTER the beans are cooked). However, I'm am ready to overcome my past mistakes and search for new and delicious recipes for the Rival.

One very good recipe I found was slow cooker BBQ beans and sausage from Food Network Magazine. I put this together one day before we had a soccer doubleheader and didn't get home until almost 7. It only took 10 minutes to put together during my lunch break. This dish was ready 15 minutes after we walked in the door.

Slow Cooker BBQ Beans & Sausage (I made some tweaks, but you can find the original recipe here.)

3 cups of chicken broth/stock
3 cups of water
1/3 cup of tomato paste
1/3 cup of brown sugar
3 TBSP of molasses
3 TBSP of honey mustard
2 TBSP of barbecue seasoning blend
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb. dry navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 small onion (or half of a large onion), cut in half
1 package of chicken-apple sausages, sliced thickly
2 TBSP of apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP of Worcestershire sauce

In a slow cooker, whisk together the broth, water, tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, honey mustard, bbq seasoning, and garlic. Then add the beans, onion, and the sliced sausage. Give it a stir. Put the cover on the slow cooker and cook the beans on HIGH for at least 6 hours (or until the beans are tender). My beans cooked for 6.5 hours and turned out just fine.

Once the beans are tender, take the lid off the pot and remove and discard the onion. Add the apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Let the beans cook for at least another 15 minutes, uncovered, before dishing them out & enjoying.

If you want smokier beans, you could certainly substitute another kind of sausage, or add some bacon. To cut the sweetness, you could use regular mustard instead of the honey mustard.

The beans are complemented by a slice of bread or a roll. You need something to mop up the extra sauce that forms. Dear hubby added some rice to his bowl and thought the mixture was excellent.

Three-Berry Clafouti

It's strange that of the dozen cookbooks I own, I really only regularly use about three of them (two books about baking and a pasta cookbook which contains one of my favorite tomato sauces). Occasionally, I'll pull out one of the four Rachael Ray books I own to look for a new recipe, but most of my favorites from those books I've committed to memory.

A couple of weekends ago, I got the hankering to bake a dessert. We already had cookies in the freezer, and I really wanted something fruity. I immediately thought of the raspberry clafouti we had been served at the bed and breakfast in Montana. "A clafouti is healthy," I rationalized. "If I use blueberries, blackberries, and some raspberries, I'll get my daily dose of antioxidants." So I began my quest for a recipe...

I began searching the internet for recipes. I remembered that clafouti is a French dish, and then I remembered that Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking had been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year. I looked through it for fun every now and then but I had yet to try out any of her recipes. Surely Julia would have a recipe for this pastry in her book. I was in luck, she had several variations on the classic dish.


I decided to use three berries because a) I needed an excuse to use blackberries (my favorite), b) blueberries are in season and somewhat inexpensive and c) I'm not a huge fan of raspberries but like the color.

The recipe couldn't be simpler to make. The ingredients for the "dough" are all combined and blended. Flour, sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs are processed until smooth.

As you can see, it's kind of frothy.

Next, you pour a thin layer of the batter into the bottom of the pie plate, just enough to coat the bottom. The pie plate goes into the 350-degree oven for a few minutes, just enough time for a film to set on the bottom of the pie plate. Then you remove the plate from the oven, add the fruit and more sugar, and pour on the rest of the batter.

It kind of looks like a giant pancake...

Then you bake the clafouti for about 45 minutes, until it's set. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing into it.

I really like this dish. It would be great served warm with some ice cream, or with whipped cream. We didn't have either of those in the kitchen, so we ate it plain. It was a light dish that didn't leave a heavy feeling in your stomach. In fact, it reminded me of a thick, giant berry pancake. And with all those great berries, you don't have to feel guilty about eating a big piece!

For the batter...
1 1 /4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 cup of flour

For the filling...
3 cups of berries
1/3 cup sugar

Black Bean Chimichangas

Do you have a word that you just love to say? A word that just brings a smile to your face? A word that just wants makes you want to celebrate? If not, don't fear-- I bring to you the word "Chimichanga!" C'mon, say it out loud. You're smiling now, right? Chi-MEE-chang-ah. Chi-me-CHANG-ah. (I know, I'm having a little too much fun with it).

According to Wikipedia, a chimichanga is traditionally a fried burrito that got its name when a cook dropped some dough into a vat of oil, and (instead of saying a very bad word in Spanish), exclaimed "Chimichanga," which is loosely translated from Spanish as "thingamajig" in English.

I had never eaten a thingamajig (that's kind of a fun word, too) until a few weeks ago when my cousin Maria converted leftover chili verde into baked chimichangas. Boy, were they good-- a crispy tortilla crust enclosing pork, onions, tomatoes, and cheese, and topped with a spicy sauce.

Her idea to use leftover chili got me thinking-- what other kinds of foods could one put in a chimichanga? It didn't take long for an idea to come-- black bean and bacon smash! It's one of my favorite go-to meals, but we usually just eat it with rice, or I occasionally will use the beans as a "sauce" for pizza.

The beans are perfect for a chimichanga because they already have a Tex-Mex flavor from the cumin and chipotle in adobo sauce. And turning them into chimis couldn't be easier-- all you have to do is assemble.



So, obviously the first thing to do was cook the black bean & bacon smash in the slow cooker during the afternoon while I was at work (I know, it's pretty ugly, but looks can be deceiving!). Then I reserved half of the black bean mixture for dinner the next night. With the remaining mixture, I mixed in some roasted corn kernels (this is enough filling for 4 chimis). I baked frozen corn kernels in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to thaw them out and give them a little bit of color. The corn added crunchy texture to the bean filling.

Then I set about getting the rest of the ingredients together: tortillas, a bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese and cooking spray.

I wrapped the tortillas up in a damp kitchen towel and nuked them for about 30 seconds in the microwave, just to get them very pliable. I also sprayed a small baking sheet with the cooking spray.

Next, I spooned about a 1/4 cup of the bean filling onto the tortilla...

... and then sprinkled on the cheese...
... and then rolled them up, just like a burrito, and placed them on the baking sheet.
(obviously I need a little more practice rolling them up! Fortunately the taste wasn't affected.)

Before putting these in a 350 degree oven, I sprayed the chimichangas with cooking spray.. I baked them for about 15 minutes. They were crisp (not quite as crispy as a fried one would be), but I think you could achieve mucho crispiness if you baked them in a hotter oven (around 425-450 degrees).

I didn't have a recipe for sauce, so I set out two jars of salsa from Frontera Foods instead: the salsa verde and the Guajillo salsa. The side dish is sauteed peppers and onions seasoned with chili powder and cumin! Yummy!

I have to come clean. From July 28-August 7 I didn’t cook AT ALL. I ate ice cream almost every day. I ate foods with no regard to their nutritional content. And I loved every minute of it. Of course, my waistline would beg to differ now that it is holding up an extra 5 pounds (5 is just a guess—it could be more but I’m scared to step on the scale!)

During those 12 days, I was on vacation in Montana with my hubby, Will, and my parents. We had a fantastic time, and enjoyed great restaurant and home-cooked food along the way. I’m not sure if we hit the “best of the best” restaurants during our visit, but I would highly recommend all of the restaurants where we ate.

At any rate, here is a recap of our travels!

South Carolina/Georgia

My husband, Will, and I began our trip with a breakfast stop at Chick-fil-A, the home of the best chicken biscuits in the world, on our way to my parent’s house in Georgia. From there, the four of us departed for Atlanta and the airport. But, before we headed to the airport, we ate a late lunch at the OK Café. This place is great if you want to quelch a craving for classic southern food. I usually get the broiled salmon, but on Tuesday I got the veggie plate with squash soufflé, macaroni & cheese, a baked sweet potato, green beans, and a corn muffin. They have fabulous desserts, but since we were so full from our meal, we decided to forgo the brownie sundaes, chocolate ice box pies, and carrot cake. I did pick up a super-sized Rice Krispie treat from the OK Take Away for a snack on the plane.

Red Lodge, MT

After arriving in Billings on Tuesday, we went straight to the hotel for a good night’s rest. The next morning, my Aunt B picked us up and took us to Red Lodge, which is at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains. We ate at a cute little café in Red Lodge (I can’t remember the name, but will post it once I do). I had a bison burger with sweet potato fries, which were surprisingly crispy.

Will is enjoying a Moose Drool ale from Montana's Big Sky Brewing Company. We decided that we would only drink MT beer during our trip (but that ended for Will when he met Cousin D and got free Busch Light).

Before we roamed the streets of Red Lodge and took a drive up the Cook City Highway, dear hubby and I split a rich piece of chocolate cake. By the way, if you ever are in Montana and want a scenic drive, take this road. The views of the mountains are spectacular, and you may see a bear like we did!

View from an overlook on the Cook City Highway.

The bear!


Lewistown, MT



After a day of sightseeing outside of Billings, the four of us headed to Lewistown, MT, for our three-day family reunion! It was very exciting to see all of our relatives, many of whom we hadn’t seen in several years!


We stayed at the Pheasant Tales Bed & Bistro, where our rooms were very spacious, and breakfast was included. Among the offerings were scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, raspberry clafouti, pancakes, and breakfast casserole.

Pheasant Tales Bed & Bistro


Needless to say, we got off to a great start each morning (and so did the turkeys).

Since Pheasant Tales is located a bit off the beaten path, so we got to see lots of deer, a porcupine, turkey, and a garter snake (well, I didn’t see the snake but I heard all about it).

The ownersof the B&B also breeds English Setters, so we always received a warm, rousing welcome from the four-legged residents.

When we weren’t at the B&B, we were at my Aunt M and Uncle L’s house, which was a relatively short drive from Lewistown. We had some of the best food of the trip there because most of it was homemade by my aunt and cousins, who were kind enough to share their recipes with us. (Look for those on upcoming blog entries!)

Of course, no summer vacation would be complete without ice cream! We soon found that the best place to swing by and pick up an ice cream cone or an Artic Freeze (similar to a DQ Blizzard) was the Dash Inn, located on the main street of Lewistown. Not only was the ice cream good, it was lots of fun to sit in the parking lot and watch the local teens and Harley Davidson enthusiasts cruise the strip.

On our final night in Lewistown, we were treated to dinner at Pheasant Tales by my parents. Aunt B, Aunt M, Uncle L, and Cousin M joined us for a fabulous meal that began with pheasant and duck ravioli in a sun-dried tomato, basil, and garlic sauce (this may be my favorite dish of the trip).

Pheasant and duck ravioli

Next, we enjoyed freshly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with a poppy seed dressing. The main course was a beef tenderloin with a sauce (sorry, I can't remember what kind), but it was made with Madeira and plum syrup. On the plate it looked like a plain brown gravy, but when it hit your mouth you got a subtle sweet flavor that was wonderful surprise! On the side was a zucchini cake that was comprised of pine nuts and bread crumbs, and topped with a remoulade sauce.

Dessert proved the point that simple is sometimes best-- it was a raspberry crepe with a brandy cream sauce.

Chris, the chef, said it best: "Everything is better with brandy cream sauce." I couldn't agree more and am definitely hitting the internet to find a recipe for it!

Great Falls

On Tuesday morning, we bid a fond farewell to our family and Pheasant Tales and headed to Great Falls to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on the banks of the Missourri River.

After a jaunt through the museum, we headed to Dante's Creative Cuisine for lunch. Everyone was very pleased with their dishes. My hubby had shrimp pasta with a four-cheese whiskey sauce, my dad had broccoli and pasta with a Gouda cheese sauce, my Mom got a great bowl of hot & sour soup, and I had a veggie burrito with salsa verde.

Helena

We drove from Great Falls to Helena, and made another stop at an educational site in Ulm, MT, at the First People Buffalo Jump.

That's me standing in front of the buffalo jump!

We stayed at the Best Western Great Northern in Helena--it is a very nice hotel and I would highly recommend it. My husband and I headed out on our own for dinner that night, and ended up at the Brewhouse Pub and Grille on Lyndale Avenue, a very short walk from our hotel. The beer was okay and the food was good by bar standards.

We stopped at the Great Northern Carousel to get ice cream for dessert. I had a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough and "hot" chocolate (chocolate ice cream with cayenne pepper-- it was interesting but left a burn in my mouth). While the ice cream was good, the price was a little outrageous. Each of us got two scoops in a waffle cone, and the total was over $10! We failed to see that the ice cream shop charged by the ounce, not the scoop! The next night we had ice cream at Dairy Queen.

Can you find the Sleeping Giant in the distance? I took this photo while hiking up Mount Helena.

On Wednesday morning in Helena, the four of us got a brief tour of the city from a Helena-native, and then headed out to the Gates of the Mountain boat tour. But, before driving to the dock, we picked up sandwiches for lunch from the Staggering Ox. I wish I had thought to take a photo of these specialities (there is one on the website). The sandwich loaves are baked in a cylinder, and then hollowed out. The bread is filled with any kind of filling you want. I got the the vegi sandwich which included veggies (duh) and cheese. The Staggering Ox has several sauces (really, they are more like salad dressings) you can drizzle on your sandwich as you eat it. Our clerk gave us lots of different sauces to try, and my favorites ended up being the sesame dressing and the wasabi.

Will and I split off from my parents that afternoon to go hiking on Mount Helena. Following our hike, we were ready for a good meal so we went to On Broadway for dinner. We had a great meal-- we split a crab and potato cake appetizer. Will got seafood alfredo for dinner and I had pasta puttanesca. While the $16.95 price tag for pasta seemed steep, the portions where HUGE, and a roll and big green salad were included in the meal. After dinner we walked around Helena for a bit before retiring to the hotel to prepare for our last day on the road in Big Sky Country.

Bozeman/Billings

The day before we flew home, we left Helena for Billings. However, we had to make a stop at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. The Museum of the Rockies has a terrific exhibit on dinosaurs and has great displays about the region's geological history.

One of my favorite parts of the museum is Mike the T-Rex, who greets visitors at the museum's entrance.

My mother got a suggestion from a museum employee for lunch, and we hit The Nova Cafe in downtown Bozeman for a late lunch. We all really enjoyed our food (Nova serves breakfast all day as well as lunch items) even though the service was slow. I had a California sandwich that was comprised of roast beef, avocado, lettuce, and tomato on ciabatta bread. It came with baked fries that were actually crisp (my baked fries at home always come out kind of soft), so I ate up! We walked off our lunch downtown and got ice cream cones before getting on the road to Billings.

Aunt B was kind enough to take us out to eat at the Windmill Restaurant in Billings on Thursday night. We all had fantastic steaks for dinner, along with salads and rolls. I had chocolate lava cake and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Even though our trip lasted almost two weeks, it still wasn't long enough. it was great to see our grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers & sister, but parting ways again just reminds us how spread out across the country we are.

We've been back from vacation for almost one week now, and my mind still drifts to the wide open spaces and mountains. I think it's time to start planning a return trip...