Hot from the Desert

As we slog through the January rain, and day after day of endless grey skies, I have to remind myself that, not even a month ago, I was hanging out in the desert. And it was glorious. So, I went back and picked through my photos, plucking out the ones that I thought might lift you out of the winter doldrums and catapult you into a place where things are dry, not drenched. Can't you just feel the sun beating down on you now?

We visited a ghost town that was full of nifty textures and colours.

The following message could be adopted for general use, don't you think?

Mister Man complied.

There was much to photograph.

Old mines 'n stuff.

Wildlife!!

Family in the old west....

A taste of home!

Of course Mister Man found the bar.

And, in homage to Kids in the Hall, Mister Man "squished the head" of the horizon. He's got the whole world in his hands. Indeed.

I shot this looking through the eyeball end of a telescope. It kind of reminds me of a perfect ending in an old-school western.... Giddy up.

Signs and Such

The other day, the news was abuzz with reports of planetary realignment which, in turn, led to a whole lot of upheaval in the astrological world. So all of a sudden, we were faced with the notion that we might be living under a new sign. And THAT got me to thinking about some of the fabulous signs Mister Man and I saw in Arizona.

This one was one of my favourite images. An answer box. Now wouldn't that be grand when you're having a bit of a conundrum?

This one made me giggle:

Let's take a closer look:

Gran Especial pantys... interesting. Or how about this one?

In fact, this place was bursting with signage. Some of which was indeed, perplexing.

Let's push in on this for a closer look, shall we?

So it was puzzling to see the liquor stand a few hundred meters away.

The market was full of partial mannequins. They were all "poised" with their bottoms thrust out towards us, as if they were perched there with their hand on their knees....

And then there were the male equivalents of the mannequins.

And these weren't really signs... but I believe they are hugely symbolic of our American adventure.

Not that anyone landed in jail or anything. Nope. They were too busy playing on the rides, having fun.

But the thing that tickled me most, was watching Mister Man enjoy himself.

Oh Ina! (Cranberry and Apple Cake with Andrew, Tamara and Cassandra)

Over the holidays, we spent a lovely evening with Andrew and Tamara. They had a special out-of-town visitor: Cassandra!!! Yay!!

While Andrew was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a most amazing fish stew, the dogs were waiting for the cheese scraps to hit the floor....

And then there was the moment of realization in which the dogs knew that there'd be no cheese scraps in their future. Don't they look like the saddest pups in the world?

Mister Man wasn't sad though. No siree.

He knew that Andrew's delicious fish stew was close at hand.

And for dessert, I wanted to make something that was both seasonal and not too OTT. My brother and sister-in-law gave me the newest Ina Garten cookbook for Christmas, and inside the covers, I found the perfect recipe for a post Christmas meal: Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake.

And you know what? It WAS easy!! And it was delicious. Here's the lovely Cassandra now, modeling the first bite.

And here's the first bite before it found its way into the lovely Cassandra's mouth.

Yum. And so easy!! Here's what you need to make Ina Garten's Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake:

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and medium-diced

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

And here's what you do with it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tooth-pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or even better, serve it with vanilla ice cream!!! This really is ridiculously easy. And yummy to boot!

What Do They Prove on the Proving Grounds?

I love visiting the States. There's always lots to do, and sometimes, it really DOES feel like you're in another country. Take, for example, our drive around the outskirts of Yuma, which took us to the Yuma Proving Grounds. Now, I'd never heard the phrase "proving grounds", and I imagined that it might be a space in which you settle an argument with your brother.... kind of like seeing the Wizard of Oz! You know, a guy behind the curtain offers up pithy little lozenges of answers that end up settling that knock 'em down, drag 'em out fight. But no. The proving grounds are where the U.S. Army tests military weapons and tactics. It was both fascinating and completely terrifying.

There was an outdoor museum by the side of the road. Here's what we saw.

There were tanks:

The tanks were from all different eras in history and were deployed in various wars...

And there were nuclear warheads too.

And this missile is called "Honest John". (Not to be confused with the smaller "Little John")

I dunno. It was strange. Very strange....