An Afternoon at the Nature Park

There are several nature centers near us in the Tualatin Valley. We have been to several and they have all been pretty amazing. While our daughter and the grandsons were in town last week, we went to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park in Beaverton, Oregon. This park has a constant stream of people coming in and out. Some are taking power walks, some are riding their bikes, some are testing sports products (Nike Headquarters is near.) We were there to enjoy the beauty of nature and to let the boys run around and burn some energy! It seems like this is a good time to say that unfortunately, I didn't have either of my cameras with me. All the following pictures were taking with my phone. Note to self: always take your small camera when you go to a nature park, especially with the grandsons!

Spotted Owl

We had walked inside the park about 500 feet when we saw a man headed toward us and he was motioning for us to be quiet. I thought, are you kidding, we are outside, in the woods! He proceeded to tell us about what was going on ahead, right off the path. A spotted owl and a king snake were in the middle of a stare down! We continued forward on tip toes, anxious to see what was going on. As we rounded the corner, we saw that a group of people had gathered and some were taking pictures. 

No wonder, it was shocking to see a large owl in plain view, sitting on a tree branch about 8 feet off the path. It was very aware of the crowd and glanced over his shoulder, looking at us, several times, clearly unafraid. One of the first things I thought about was the controversy surrounding these beautiful owls. Some would say that they single-handedly closed down the timber industry in the northwest. Here are two links about the spotted owl. You will find general information about the spotted owl at this link. You can read about their impact on the northwest here.

A funny thing happened on the way out. We couldn't find our way out! We had gone off the main paved path and had walked on several unpaved paths and then we couldn't find the paved path that would take us out. We walked around for about 45 minutes, convinced that we had found the right path and that we were almost out. When we passed a large white mushroom that we had passed going in the opposite direction, we knew we had a problem. We laughed at the thought of needing to call the nature center office and having someone guide us to the entrance. 

We kept walking and we soon realized that the sun was headed down and it was getting darker as we walked along. At this point, we also laughed at the thought of needing to call 911 and asking for help if the nature center was closed. All the while, we were assuring the boys that everything was just fine. We weren't lost, we just couldn't find the main path out! Before too long, we saw a nice man approaching us and he sent us in the right direction. Before long we were on the right path!

On our way to the car, the park ranger, Molly, was just getting out of her truck. Wiley and Ivan had lots of questions for her and she spent at least 20 minutes talking to them and answering all their questions. She also gave us lots of history and information about the park.

We were glad we got out before dark. All the wild animals come out when it gets dark! Don't worry, it wasn't even 5 o'clock yet!

Happy Halloween

Our favorite trick-or-treaters!

Another favorite!

Yay! The Kids Are Back - For A Visit!

These pictures are for you, Gramma Barb and Grandpa Mike!

Banana Banana Bread

Ready to go, but the mini chips kept falling off.

This recipe for banana bread is from another treat that I made for the ladies get-together last week. I have several recipes for banana that are tried and true, but for some crazy reason, I went on a search for a new recipe! Why do I do that? I don't know! We are suppose to learn from our mistakes! Sometimes I learn nothing! Why, oh, why I do not know! I usually write the month and year on the recipes I use, so that I know when I made them, and most importantly, I write notes on what worked and what to do different next time. I also write who I made it for, which helps so I don't always make the same thing for the same people. You would think I would take advantage of that info. But no, not me, I'm always looking to add a little extra stress to the situation by using a recipe I know nothing about. 

Wrapped and ready

I found a recipe at food.com and made a few changes. The recipe went together very easy, but unfortunately, I over baked it, which is the worst thing you can do with quick bread, next to over mixing! I have written my notes on this recipe now and I will try hard to keep my banana bread moist next time! Because I realized before I left the house, at 7:40 a.m. that the bread was dry, I whipped up some spread as a topping. I mixed about 5 ounces of fat free cream cheese, about 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter, about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, a touch of vanilla and a little milk. I whipped it until it was very fluffy and spread easily. Peanut butter and bananas, what's not to love? I guess I forgot to try it, but it passed the dear hubby test and everyone that tried the spread said it was really good. I will probably make it again, now that I have all my notes written on what not to do!



Enjoy!

Brown Butter Streusel Mini Crumb Cakes

Did I ever mention that I have a thing for baking pans? When I saw a mini crumb cake pan at Williams-Sonoma several years ago, I knew I had to have it! It is a really cool pan with removable bottoms which makes removing the little cakes very easy. The recipe makes a dozen so I don't make them very often. This past week I made treats for a ladies fellowship group and I jumped at the chance to use my special pan. 


The browned butter makes these crumb cakes extra special. I brown the butter first so that it can cool completely before starting the recipe. I decided to make the cinnamon apple variation printed on the back of the box. I was happy that they turned out good, but next time I will increase the apple quantity to 1-1/2 cups. The one cup of apples gives you just a hint of apple. I think they could be a lot better with more apple pieces. To make this work, I will add a little less batter, add the apples and pat them down into the batter a little more. I will also add the crumb topping just to the top of the rim, which will probably leave some unused crumbs. As you can see from the photo below, when the cake rises, it pushes the crumb out and over the rim. It's not really a problem, but if part of it falls off, you have a lopsided crumb cake.

The outer cakes brown more than the inside cakes

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

If you like pumpkin, you should make these muffins. You can have them mixed up in no time. In fact, your oven might take longer to heat up than it takes to make these muffins! All you need is a can of pumpkin, a yellow cake mix and a few spices. You could add any spices that strike your fancy. My spices are just a suggestion. You will end up with super moist and tasty muffins! If you have a cake mix, you should try them. If you don't, buy a cake mix and then you can try it. While you are at the store, you should buy a can of pumpkin, unless you have one in the cupboard. Just try it!
Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

We must be waiting for the flower fairy to arrive

Have a great weekend!