Day 107 - Bobcat and Cookies

The title is two different subjects - just to be clear up front.

Our neighborhood bobcat is back - dang!  I am all for wildlife survival and don't want to hurt the thing; however, I am down 5 hens!  We tried live trapping last night but this morning just found our little barn kitty Buddy meowing to let him out.  Are we sure it's a bobcat?  Yes!  I heard it two nights ago and Alan heard it this morning.  There is nothing in this world that sounds like that little wildcat.  Luckily I don't think our cat Purple has had any run-ins with it this time around.  But to his credit he has tried protecting the barnyard from it before.  We do lock our chickens in every night but sometimes one little hen decides to hide outside the gated hen house and then it's curtains for her.  I am maintaining at 12 hens right now and hope that continues.  My fear is when hungry, bobcats will hunt during the day as well.  I am hoping the food supply has run out and our bobcat will move along further up the railroad tracks.

Today was a cookie baking day - yum yum.  However, when you see the first batch you'll think I've never baked cookies before.  Anyway, Clark wanted cookies so I made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  Good tasting cookies but the first batch spread too much (should have tested with just one cookie first).  Made some adjustments and the second and third rounds went much better!  Clark didn't care - he sampled from both piles and liked both groups!

Next time the flour needs to be increased slightly since it seems like a lot of butter for the amount of flour.  I like my drop cookies to have some height rather than spread out like wafers.  I do have to admit I have never done well in the general cookie judging arena at the Iowa State Fair.  To add to that I also have never been able to sit in on comments to gain some knowledge of what the judges look for in cookies.  So, I am going to try out a range of cookie recipes this year and try hard to attend at least some of the cookie judging to improve next year's batches.  Regardless, I love baking cookies and trying new cookie recipes.  This year for the first time I hosted a Christmas Cookie Exchange after entering cookies in the ISF cookie exchange class.  It was great fun and I have some great recipes for this year from that experience!  I would highly recommend a Cookie Exchange if you have never tried one!

OK - here you go the following are my photos (good and bad)!

With two little ones I have gotten in the habit of measuring all the ingredients out and spreading them in the order they need to go according to the recipe.  This way if I am interrupted at any point I can be sure I did not miss anything and know what step of the process I am in.  Grant likes to "help" with his own spoon and the best seat in the house!

Cookies in waiting!  I like using my new tablespoon size cookie scoop.  Makes them so nice and even!  I also always use parchment paper - nice brown bottoms and easy pan clean up later!

First batch - blah!  Too spread out.  They don't look so good but they still tasted great.  Just remember - one of my favorite sayings that I have heard from many an ISF food judge (and that I completely agree with), "we eat with our EYES first!"  I never take anything if it doesn't look good.

Mmm - second batch looks much better.  Tastes the same!

Clark (and Grant) definitely thought they were yummy!  One for snack and one for dinner (with his more nutritious meal).  He says he wants cupcakes next.  I may be creating a little "foodie" monster!