Were you aware?

I was killing some time on the internet recently and discovered that there are more than 5 senses. more like 9-20:
Humans have more than five senses. Although definitions vary, the actual number ranges from 9 to more than 20. In addition to sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, which were the senses identified by Aristotle, humans can sense balance and acceleration (equilibrioception), pain (nociception), body and limb position (proprioception or kinesthetic sense), and relative temperature (thermoception).[116] Other senses sometimes identified are the sense of time, itching, pressure, hunger, thirst, fullness of the stomach, need to urinate, need to defecate, and blood carbon dioxide levels

If you're feeling like you have a need to bend your mind wikipedia has a list of common misconceptions, some are really interesting, others you'll probably just scan through.

the wedding website

This is under construction at the moment, but it's better than nothing, right?

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/ChristineVanderLinden&TimPalka

s'mores cupcakes

Obviously I used an offset spatula and didn't pipe this frosting onto the cupcakes, I think it looks fine, I like the little teddy grahams, they are cute, there are only two people in my office today... The teddy bears get a little gooey if they're in there for a couple of hours. I didn't notice too much of a flavor change with the introduction of the graham cracker crumbs, but I did like the chunks of chocolate in the cake.
I tried hitting the chocolate bars with a rolling pin while still in the wrappers, but that didn't produce much results. Instead I crumbled them while they were still inside the wrappers by hand. (I would probably enlist my nephews to do that for me)
I think the frosting was delicious even if it was crazy sticky. I would like to try carmelized marshmallow frosting- like "skinning the grandma" when you roast your marshmallows.
I ran out of time last night to make more graham cracker crumbs to do a coating or crumbly topping. Sorry Tim!
I had enough batter for 24 cupcakes, I was scraping the bowl for enough frosting for them though. If I wasn't careful I wouldn't have had enough chocolate bits at the end for the top decoration.
Have you seen Bakerella's take on the s'more cupcake? I like the idea of using a chocolate cake, and a chocolate ganache, but a raw marshmallow is a little unappealing to me.

Updates: there were comments from a couple of the entrance station folks that got to try them.
"I tried one which seemed to have a lemony touch which I liked, I also thought maybe a tad bit dry, so how could one moisten more... I didn't pay much attention to the aesthetics as if anything was curious about the brown little pieces on top. Of course I gravitate towards cupcakes in general as they are my favorite. Good work overall." G

Next input: "Cupcake sample #1- presentation is everything. Make bears obvious as boy girl, maybe one holding a sugary flower like you might be holding, maybe leaning toward one another? or together? 2- taste great, but maybe adjoining sugar rings, or maybe the date or your initials placed sentimentally" P

Then these comments make more sense- "the cupcakes are delicious (of course!) and very cute. though as I was looking at the design, I had a brief, morbid flash of two little bears drowning in a whitecap sea, unable to help each other as their little chocolate life raft capsized and sank before their eyes. Sure I have an active imagination, but this batch was slightly over done (on the bottom) barely noticeable, but good to know if you're perfecting the recipe. In summary: yum! more please!" J

So mostly visual tweaks, I really liked Kim's smore's. They were real pretty!

oldify your pics!



courtesy of an awesome website: just make sure you click english.

Since I recently got my blackberry I have been in search of awesome photography apps like the ones that turn photos old fashioned, or distort the colors to make them more artsy, like hipsamatic or, I'm sure there are a ton more. Alas, blackberry users are not the artsy types. I went with the bb because the coverage is better due to a stronger antennae. Once I get into civilization I will probably switch to the iphone...

Cream filled cupcakes

So I went with the concept of the cream filled cupcake, but since I lacked pre-made frosting, and I was talked into making substitutions, this is the product.

As you can see, I did use a chocolate cake- but I got milk chocolate, not devil's food. And instead of a vanilla frosting this is peanut butter frosting.

My verdict: there should be a contrasting flavor in the middle vs on the top. I do love me some chocolate and peanut butter though. So really not that bad, but maybe a creamier center? or a raspberry cream center? Tim came to a similar conclusion.

I think when we go back to flag next week, I will pick up some devil's food cake and try again.

Will the real slim shady please stand up?

Psych! Totally kidding about doing it at that particular campsite. Not kidding about doing it at the group campsites at Ten X. Here are some pictures from the super pretty spot we saw on Wednesday.

 There are 2 vault toilets- handicap accessible, Tim knows how to make them not smell bad, and they are conveniently located, an there's running water.

 Tim is standing in front of the fire pit, it's monster big, big enough for a pretty good bonfire!

 I believe I counted 4 charcoal grills, there are 2 nice sized concrete benches for serving food, an animal proof locker for trash and food storage

 This ramada is covering 6 picnic tables that easily seat 8 each, 10 if we have chairs at the end

 the surrounding area is a wonderful Ponderosa forest, those tracks are on a paved road.

 yay! tall trees!

This is the other group site, it's a little smaller, and not too far from the bigger one, but we thought we'd rent them both so there's not like a scout troop right next to us.

The only negatives are:

1. no electricity

2. It's not on the canyon rim

3. It's a little further from the ceremony site.

4. quiet hours start at 10 pm- this probably won't be much of an issue.

Positives:

1. Wicked cheap.

2. can bring in our own caterer and booze

3. It's much more our style

4. did I mention the trees?

5. It's paved, it's got a ramada in case it rains, it's got its own picnic tables, there's space for more tables, there's a decent amount of parking space

6. Tim and I both really love it. 

7. We don't have mosquitos

8. We don't have bears

Another park ranger's invitations to her wedding



Did you notice the 3 legged dog? His name is Bear.

  

It's not the most unique way to do invites since someone else did them, but they are quite stylish.

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