Cinnamon Brownie Cookies

I made cookies yesterday. Christmas cookies to go with some gumbo that the mud guy made. It was really good, and the 5 dozen cookies were gone in about 3 hours, maybe 4.

Ingredients:

12 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

4 T Butter

4 Eggs

1 1/2 c Sugar

1 t Vanilla

1/4 t Salt

1 t Cinnamon

1 c All-Purpose Flour

1/2 t Baking Powder

Directions:

*Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare cookie pans with parchment paper, or spread with butter and shake flour over the pan to cover the entire surface.

Combine the chocolate chips and butter. Melt in a microwave safe bowl, cooking for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well and adding time as necessary, until the mixture is smooth. This can also be done in a double boiler. Set aside

Beat the eggs and sugar together, until they begin to turn pale. Add the vanilla and salt.

Mix in the chocolate mixture.  

Add the flour and baking powder and cinnamon and mix until combined. The mix will be quite runny, about like brownie batter.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared cookie pans. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edge and soft in the middle.  

Let sit on the pans for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

A New Blog

I decided the other day to get a new background for my lovely little blog.  It turns out if you want an interesting one you have to download it, and then post it in html.  Then you must figure out where all the little bloopers are so that it will actually work.  I was even so ambitious as to want to make my own header.  That was a lot of work. 

And then I realized I lost all my little additions.  I guess that's something I can live with, because JUST LOOK AT IT!!!!  I took Cupcake's drawing for my "Kitchen" and updated it a little because paint has some pixilation problems with ink drawings.  I have to say, I'm quite proud of how it turned out. 

In the process I created a new blog to save my posts, just in case.  I kinda like the way that one turned out as well.  So I've decided to keep it and use it for my "non food related" posts.  So if you want to see my adventures that's where you'll have to go. 

Exploits in the "Real" World

In the mean time, I've been experimenting a little with puff pastry (sadly I bought it) and I'll take some pictures to add here.  Someday I will make my own, but the rig kitchens are lacking in anything out of the realms of VERY basic cooking.

An Exploit: The Skinny

I am in South Texas again.

I was rather dreading it because last time I was here, it was 90 *F at night and so humid it wasn't worth using a towl after showering. This time, however, the weather is a little bit more hospitable. Today is about 65 *F, Sunny and a littly windy, but what's a little wind when you're from Wyoming? It's the perfect fall day. I love this weather, and I love the sea. I wish I could be outside all day, rather than in my box at the computer.

The thing that makes me laugh about this place is: I look out the window and see all these Soutern boys in Carhart coveralls and sweatshirts: the clothes I've seen my dad wear in 20 *F weather. And here I am, thinking I wish I didn't have to wear these darn nomex coveralls, because they're too warm.

Another story:

I just went over to the trailer to get some grapes. On the way back to my box, I saw Mark. Mark came over to ask me how I eat so much and stay so skinny.

Hahahahahahaha.

Anyway, he then noticed that I had grapes in the bowl. "I guess those are healthy," he tells me. Hmm. So what I had before wasn't healthy? I do admit I ate a lot yesterday. Every 2 or 3 hours seems like a lot when you have to walk back and forth. But I had an apple, grapes, carrots, celery, and a couple mini Luna bars. Maybe it was the tea? I don't know, but I guess it's a good thing I run. The calories in those carrot sticks, ugh!

Next on the entry menu: Burnt Sugar! what fun.

An Exploit: 3rd Time's a Charm

I'm now on my third rig. I didnt' take pictures because it looks just like the last 2. I did take pictures of a nice sunset last night.

They had 3 of us hurry out here to Shreveport, Louisiana. They were almost ready for our tool. We got out here, checked all the gear we had, re-measured the drillstring and got the tool put together. Then they told us they were having circulation loss problems, and they'd pick up tools tomorrow night. Tomorrow night came and they told us at least 24 hours. So the lead MWD left to go see his wife for the night. He got back yesterday, and it looked like we'd pick up tools sometime today. When I woke up they told me, they are cementing and it'll be 3 maybe 4 days, you can leave if you want. Ha! I could have been spending time with my family, but no... Anyway I have some help with my millions of quizes I have to take while I'm here. Wish me luck, I go to school on July 20!

An Exploit: Swirly Clouds

As I was driving into town the other day, I noticed this entry a driveway. It's very simple, and I had driven by it several times without noticing. But when I saw it I laughed a lot, and then had to turn around to take a picture. So that you know I'm not lying. The gate goes into PJ Farm! Hahahahahah

Also today it rained, well I guess it was yesterday. And when I was out with Dean putting the tool together and testing it, he pointed out the clouds. He asked if I'd ever been in a tornado before, then pointed up at the sky. The clouds were moving around in a circle, starting to swirl, it was really quite interesting. Don't worry it only lasted a bout 10 minutes and didn't move down at all.

An Exploit: My New Hero

My night in my box would not be complete without these items.

1. My jute recycle bag filled with books and cd's
2. My jute star bag filled with snacks and munchies
3. My excellent green hard hat
4. Safety glasses
5. Gloves
Not pictured: My laptop



Here's what I've found lately perusing the Internet between surveys:

Amazing cupcakes, and so much other stuff. This woman is my new hero, she makes the most beautiful creations, takes fabulous pictures of them, and has done all of this while finishing med school. This picture is my favorite because it's almost the one I draw for my sister, Cupcake.



Oh, P.S. her blog is annies-eats.com

Another cool blog that Claire (Cupcake) told me about was Cupcakes Take the Cake. I found this picture on their blog.

Isn't it fun? And it's on a Vinyl! Note to self: get a stocked kitchen, some cool baking tools, and go to town. I need to learn a lot of patience to make stuff like this!

Also, I'm going to start posting my favorite pictures along the left side of the page, under my categories segment.

An Exploit: Sand Bar

This morning, after my run, I went down to the water with the intention of doing some Yoga. I did a few push ups and sit ups, and then decided that I was more interested in taking some pictures. Here is what I saw:

This one was from the other night. Claire and I were comparing how long our hair was. It's my work box, and my work jumpsuit. YAY, blue nomex with my name.

Part of an old pier. This shore is rather marshy, lots of grass.

I intended to get out earlier, there's a sand bar a few inches under water here. I thought it would make a good picture, but I was too late, and the tide started coming in.

Looking through the planks.

My footprints. The little blobs are from oysters, little air holes. When they push the water out they push the sand into little lumps.

The rest of these are just views that I found interesting. A lot of pipe and stuff was left to rust and corrode and waste away.

Orange Moon: Puddng Cookies

This morning I saw an amazingly orange moon when walking from the work box to the sleeping box. I'm starting to believe that the constant clouds are actually haze from the refinery. I did get to see 2 stars this morning, though. And it makes for a pretty cool moon.

I went into town this afternoon to the grocery store. I had found a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I wanted to try. I ended up forgetting my list, and thus forgot to buy butter. I did have about half what the recipe called for, and fortified the rest with oil.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

1 c Butter

1/4 c Sugar

3/4 c Brown Sugar, packed

2 Eggs

1 t Vanilla

2 1/4 c Flour

1 t Baking Soda

1 (4 oz) package Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 (12 oz) package Milk Chocolate Chips

What I used:

1/3 c Butter

1/4-1/2 c Vegetable Oil

1/4 c Sugar

3/4 c Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 1/4 c Flour

1 t Baking Powder

1 (4 oz) package Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 (12 oz) package Milk Chocolate Chips

Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, pudding mix. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add oil as necessary so that the batter will roll into balls without sticking to your hands. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Bake at 375* for about 10-12 minutes.

They turned out fairly well (very vanilla-y). Now I'm off to make friends with the roughnecks.

The DD said these were the best cookies he's ever had, and repeatedly asked me to make them again.

An Exploit: Breaking Dawn, teeheehee

I took some pictures on my way back from the work box to the sleep box. Here's what I came up with. It's still dark when I leave the box, but it gets light pretty quick.





Lights across the bay, there's a refinery over there. The lights extend all the way across the view we have from our little alcove.




Some pipe stacked out of the way.




The rig with all the lights on.

I took some more pictues tonight. I like how the moon looks on water. And how the lights turn the clouds orange.

This is my work box. Inside are 2 chairs, a bench that doubles as storage. A desk that holds 6 computers (mine included) and various other equipment (most of it I'm not entirely sure what it does).

This is where all the activity is. The stairs lead up to the rig floor (the blue box is their office). This is where the pipe is added or taken off, as needed to keep drilling or take the bit and tool out of the well.

An Exploit: From the Kitchen to the Rig

My mom, I think, told me I should do a "kitchen to field" entry. At least until I get a kitchen again. Turns out that I will be living in apartments or double wide trailers for the next 3 months, at least. So, you'll be hearing a lot about rigs. Or maybe not a lot about them, because I have almost no time to myself. Right now, we are waiting and I should be studying, but who wants to study?

Anyway I am at my first job. It is a rig near Portland, TX. And it is ON the beach. Not sandy, but very nice, from my point of view. It was rather brown yesterday, because it was SO windy. Amazing coming from a Wyoming girl, right? I'm not complaining, it made it seem not so hot, but it made the bay kind of a nasty brown color.

Looking across the bay, to the north, I believe what I see is a refinery. Looked a little bit like Sinclair. Also, one of the gentlemen here told me that you could cross a bridge and go to a beach. I'll have to go explore if I get a chance.

My exploration last night took place fairly close to the rig. This is what I see about 30 yards from my "house".

These boards are very intriguing, I wonder what was out here.

And there's the rig. If you look carefully, you can see more of the bay behind the rig. the other pictures are looking off to the right.

This is my little perch. I can step down, and have a little seat and put my feet in the water.

The sand bar, it's only about 20 feet across. The rest of the beach is more clifflike.

My home for the next 2 weeks, or so.

Well, time to get back to studying. Wish me luck!