Introducing Wally the Whippet!

So handsome!

After wanting a Whippet for the past three years, we finally tracked down Signet Dogs, a reputable breeder last June. We were able to go visit the pups before they were ready to go home (they were about 5 weeks old). The breeder was very kind, inviting us into her home and answering about two hours worth of questions. We had been getting ready for a puppy for about two months before we got to pick him up and bring him home. We got Wally right when he turned 8 weeks old. He was the first in his litter of 11 to go to a home. He rode in the car nicely, and seemed to acclimate to our home immediately.

First time in his new yard!

Looking stunning as usual :)

Wally is now 6 months old, and has so far been way easier than I could have ever imagined. Sure he went through a biting stage where for a while I swear that he saw me as a piece of juicy raw steak, but he got over that rather quickly. We were able to crate train him right away, he only had two accidents in the house before he was potty trained and walked on a leash pretty nicely the first time it was put on him.  We did bring him to six weeks of puppy classes at the local animal shelter to help him learn the basics.

Riding nicely in the car

Shhh... it's a wig

The little gentleman

Walk on a nice autumn afternoon

Hetch Hetchy Vernon Lake Loop

Look at those beautiful behinds!

We decided for our annual Memorial Day backpacking trip that we would take the Vernon lake loop out from the controversial Hetch Hetchy Damn. They say that less than 1% of visitors to Yosemite travel to Hetch Hetchy, but Memorial Day is suppose to be the busy time as it is at a lower elevation than many popular areas of the park and therefore less likely to have snow on the ground. We got out to the trail at around 7:30 AM on Saturday morning. The weather was a bit cool, but we did not think much of it. We got started promptly after our arrival and were able to see some breathtaking views of the reservoir.

 

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Through the fog

About an hour into our trip, it began to drizzle just a bit and within a few minutes it was coming down pretty good.  We thought we were prepared with our fashionable five dollar ponchos, but within an hour mine had split right down the front.

We look like camels...

Soon enough the rain turned to snow which we were not quite prepared for.  I think snowstorms at this time of year in Hetchy Hetchy are a bit unusual.  We hiked about 10 miles this first day.  It wasn't that bad, not a lot of switch backs, but the weather did bring moral down a bit.  By the time we made it to camp, we could not even see the lake through the fog and were unable to determine if we weer even in the correct camp.  We did decide on a place to sleep for the night, and ran into some other backpackers who shared the camp with us and helped us make our campfire (necessary for drying wet shoes, and lifting spirits).  By the time our tents were up the campfire was roaring and we were able to try out our new Jetboil Flash which boiled water for our freeze dried dinners in about 3 minutes.

After the nice warm dinners, and some much needed Bourbon shared with new friends, we were off to bed to get some sleep for our 10 mile hike the next day.

Hooray for clear skies!

Waking up Saturday morning could not have been better.  I felt nice and rested, and within an hour the sun was shining through the clouds.  We were able to lay our wet rainflies and sleeping bags out on a rock while we ate breakfast and packed away camp to dry.  To our amazement, we were super close to the lake, and were able to see some amazing views on our way up the switchbacks leaving Lake Vernon:

Lake Vernon

From this point we hiked up and through the soggy Till Till valley and camped at Rancharia Falls. We met up with our friends again for dinner and drinks and shared stories of adventured had that day.  We were up and at em early the next day, said saynora to our buddies, and were ready for the final leg of our trip.  Again, we got some amazing views of the lake, sunny this time, and even saw a mamma bear with her cub (super cute I must say)

All in all, I would say this backpacking trip had everything that a trip should; beautiful views, unexpected surprises and new amigos.  Although I would not plan to hike this particular trail again, it was an amazing adventure with great friends!

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Yosemite hike to Nevada Falls

After not taking advantage of nearby Yosemite National Park all summer, we decided to try to get in a hike before the weather changes for the winter.  After scouring through our Yosemite book, we decided on the Mist trail to Nevada Falls.  The hike was listed as strenuous at 6.8 miles and a 2600 feet elevation climb.

We entered the park at about 7:45am on Saturday morning, and by the time we got to curry village and got ready it was already 9am, a little later than I wanted to leave.  There were a fair number of hikers headed up the hill with us in the beginning, but we powered by them, and ended up by ourselves for much of the hike.  We did under estimate the incline though, as we were both feeling pretty breathless after our speed walk up the trail.  Another note about Yosemite in late October; the morning was very cold, and I was not prepared so for the first 2 hours of the hike, I was freezing and dreaming of a nice warm beanie to cover my frozen ears.  Note to self: please be prepared next time.

Vernal Falls

the granite staircase up the Mist trail were most definitely intense. A great workout and challenge with very rewarding views of Yosemite Valley and the falls.

 

Once the intense climb was over, the rest of the trail (we took the John Muir trail to loop back to our starting point) was a nice steady downhill walk through peaceful woods.  Yosemite was beautiful this time of year with all the leaves changing for Autumn, and the park was relatively empty compared to summer months. Fall is always a great time to miss the heavy summer crowds, and beat the cold winter snow.

Kitchen Remodel

This is one of the first project that was completed after purchasing my home.  We actually were able to do it before moving in, so we did not have to live through the mess and inconvenience of a complete kitchen demo.  A friend of the family took on this project, and it was actually his idea.  Check out some before pictures:

 

 

 

We demolished the kitchen down to the sub floor and found several boards that needed replacing.  Also, upon tearing into the walls, we realized there was no insulation so that was added.  We relocated an oddly placed window (see window to the right in the photo below) in order to bring the counter to the wall, and knocked down a wall that was separating the kitchen from the laundry room.  Doing so gave us much more room to work with, and allowed us to get all the cabinets and the pantry cabinet that we wanted.  Another issue that we encountered was the water heater that was in the space of the old laundry room.  To solve this, we removed it and had a tankless water heater mounted on the exterior of the house (smart and green!)  and flowing at 6gpm, we never run out of hot water. 

 

The floor was finished with 18" ceramic tile.  We used granite for the counter tops and travertine for the back splash accented with glass subway tile.  We found an awesome stainless steel sink by Vigo on overstock, as well as our faucet and this awesome Cavaliere-Euro 36-inch wall mount range hood. 

(Some of the photos shown were taken before the job was completed the above is pre-hardware, microwave and window coverings)

All in all, there is nothing I would have done differently.  With the help of my lovely mother, and the amazing staff at KZ kitchen cabinets, we were able to come up with the perfect plan to utilize every inch of the space perfectly. 

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

I was suffering from an insatiable sweet tooth this afternoon, and had to do something about it.  After flipping through my copy of Martha Stewarts Cookies cookbook, I could not pass these up; chocolate, coconut, and walnuts, what more could you ask for in a cookie!  Plus I got to use my awesome professional Kitchenaid my mom gave me for Christmas last year.  This recipe is perfect as-is, but I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of white chocolate since I did not have any in stock.

If you do not have a silpat, I highly recommend getting one.  I bake all my cookies on them and they prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan.  They slide right off the silpat and it prevents the bottoms from burning...perfection!
Silpat tip: Before using your silpat for the first time, set your oven to 400° and place it directly onto the oven rack.  Leave it in for about 20 minutes.  The silpat will smoke and emit a slight odor, but after will be ready for your first baking excursion!

I recommend trying these.  They are simple to prepare, and the result is great.  Be careful to not over-bake as these cookies should be a bit on the chewy side and not crispy.  I baked mine for 11 minutes rotating the sheet half way, but your oven temperature may vary.  Whenever I bake cookies, I make sure to watch the first batch carefully so I can relax for the remaining batches and know that they will come out perfectly.  You can find Martha Stewart's cookie recipe here.  Enjoy!

Fresh Quick Meat Sauce

5 super ripe, fresh tomatoes
6 fresh picked basil leaves julienned
2 tbs EVOO
2 freshly chopped garlic cloves
1/4 chopped onion (red/white/yellow)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 can tomato paste
1/4lb ground beef
salt and pepper to taste

Serves 2-3 people

Heat olive oil in skillet and add garlic and onion.  Saute for a few minutes to bring out all the flavors.  Add beef and cook until browned.  Add fresh chopped tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil and salt and pepper.  Stir together all ingredients, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve over your favorite noodle and enjoy!

I love homegrown, super ripe tomatoes, and look forward to them every summer.  There are endless ways to prepare tomatoes, so be creative and inventive when thinking of what to do with them!  I happened to have some leftover linguine and ground beef in the fridge, and wanted to use it before it spoiled.  Also, my tomatoes were getting soft, so I knew cooking them would be the best option.  This sauce came out pretty good, the only thing I was missing was fresh Parmesan cheese.  Remember, be creative in the kitchen and make sure to have fun when cooking for yourself, your friends and your family!

Asparagus Fern

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I've been admiring this fern for quite a while at my local Lowe's store, but they only offered a large size that seemed a little pricey to me.  Low and behold the other day I walked in and saw a smaller size at a great price!  I purchased 2, but hesitated planting them for a few days because just about every spot in my yard gets pretty intense sun throughout the day, and these little suckers are only suppose to get morning sun.  I finally decided on a spot that gets about 6 hours a day.  I was nervous that this would be too much, but so far (about 2 weeks) they are looking great.  I am making sure to water at least every other day to establish these little gems, and can't wait to see them grow.  If they are doing well at the end of the week, I think I will go buy a few more.  You can't beat the bright, light shade of green these will add to your garden, and the curious spiraling twisting branches add a bit of fun to any space.