Stuff and Things 5/22

+I have been pulled headfirst into the world of Gossip Girl.  Good Lord.  Where have I been for the last 7 years?

Actually, I try to avoid the WB/CW like the plague because that's the network that totes stuff like The Vampire Diaries (or am I missing out on that too?) and other overdramatic shows directed at the under-17 crowd.

But when Scott was in Colorado last weekend, I started watching on Netflix.  I'm already just about finished with season 2.  That's …several episodes in less than a week.  And I have a job, guys.

I find it fascinating and the acting, I think, is actually really good.

My favorite?

However, as someone warned me on Twitter, you've got to watch in small doses.  It messes with your mind.  The dramatics, the clothing, the now-ancient cell phones.  (I saw my cell phone from 2006 AND the one from 2008.  Fun!)  However, it was very hard to go back to my plebeian lifestyle after a weekend of Gossip Girl, popcorn, and wine.  It actually felt difficult and unfair.  That's a sign that maybe I need to take a break from the show.

+However, the week wasn't all non-glamourous un-fun.  I got to go to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum on a field trip!  The third time for me.

+Acupuncture hurt this week.  Last week, I didn't feel a thing and it was wonderfully relaxing.  This week, ugh.  The doctor said that means it's working, especially in certain spots that seem to be extra tender. I was exhausted afterward. It's a frustrating process.  She also told me to stay away from cold stuff (beverages).  Not sure how I feel about that.  It's iced coffee season.

+And that's all I have today.  Sorry for the weak post.

+Tomorrow I have "before" pictures from our new house in Colorado.  Exciting stuff!

Laura's Gingerbread

My favorite Little House book is The Long Winter.  I used to read it, repeatedly, while eating gingersnaps dipped in milk for breakfast.  My dad used to feed me cookies for breakfast when I was in elementary school.  My mom was already on her way to work, most likely, so this is why that happened.  (My brother would eat pop-tarts, so gingersnaps probably weren't that bad, in the grand scheme of things.  I hated breakfast...pretty much until I was 25 or so, so again, gingersnaps = not so bad.)

It's odd that I would eat gingersnaps while reading that book because the last thing the Ingalls family was eating that year were cookies.

Later, when I read Little Town in the Ozarks, it turned out that gingerbread was Laura's signature dessert.  I made ginger cookies once (a family recipe), but I never posted it.  Maybe I will soon because they're Christmas cookies.

I found this magnet with the gingerbread recipe on it at the gift shop in Mansfield.  Good thing, too:  I didn't want to buy the whole Little House Cookbook just for one recipe.  The other recipes in that book  involved lots of salt pork and lima beans.  None of that would be happening around here.

This gingerbread was delicious.  It was moist and flavorful and the kitchen smelled amazing while it was baking.  I did leave out of the cloves, because I only had whole cloves.  They probably would've made it super spicy...I think I'll add more ginger next time too.

I baked it at 350* because that's what I assumed "moderate" meant.  It took 45 minutes.  Maybe at 375* it would take 30 minutes?  Let me know if you try it!

About the recipe...
I did the 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a coffee mug with 1 cup of boiling water (uh, water microwaved for 2 minutes).  It does run over, so be careful!
I used a potato masher to combine the shortening, brown sugar, and molasses.
I stirred it all together with a wooden spoon.  I thought about using the KitchenAid, but well, you know...trying to keep things authentic around here.

I could easily see this being a go-to dish for the holidays.  Maybe with some cream cheese frosting for Thanksgiving?  Yes.  I think so.

I went back to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

Apple trees (of course)

The farmhouse

My mom found it *fascinating*

So did my dad

A few years ago, I'd have issues with standing in front of a large crowd, as a grown person, and asking my mom to take my picture.  Blogging has changed all that.

The Rock House

Last time, Scott and I got a private tour. This time, there were lots of others.  

If you've read Little Town in the Ozarks, this is the house (the stone one) that Laura, Almanzo, and Rose lived in during the time they had to make the move to town for financial reasons.  Back then, it looked much different.

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4 1/2 years ago, Scott and I took a trip to Mansfield on our way to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  He humored me,  joked about the short kitchen counters (Laura was 4' 11"), and said he'd never go back.  I counted that as one of the best days of my life.  He and I are different like that.

This time around, I found out new information about Rose, genealogy, and I got some new reading material called The Wilder Life.  Reading this book has made me realize that I'm not alone; I've always had an unhealthy obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder.  It began in 4th grade, and I'm pretty sure that's why 4th grade is still my favorite grade, both to remember and to teach (sorry, 2nd graders).  

We went to the cemetery and, for a split second, were worried we'd have to trample through the whole place in order to find what we were looking for.  No worries.

And in case you missed the first sign, there was a second.

Looking at that headstone there, does anyone remember Mrs. Rippee from the The Rose Years books (doubtful because I'm probably the only one who read them more than once)?  

That cemetery was like a character list.  I kept looking for Codays, hoping to come across Blanche, but I'm not sure what happened to her.  Information I found online says she was a year older than Rose and had 3 brothers.  That's the right Blanche, but the internet doesn't know where she ended up.

Anyway, expect more about this in the coming days.  I feel like I've got a lot to say.  And I made some of Laura's famous gingerbread.