Experiments with Brownies

I baked 2 batched of brownies this morning while it was still relatively cool. The first batch is for my nephew DT who is in Michigan. The 2nd batch is for my nephew David who is gluten-intolerant. For both batches I froze them then sealed them in FoodSaver vacuum bags. The Food Saver manual says to freeze baked goods before sealing so they don't get squashed by the vacuum process, which seemed to work. DT's brownies were flatter than David's brownies to begin with so they seem like they got squashed but they aren't. I actually did not like the texture of DT's brownies (very soft and gummy, I like mine with more substance) and will be using another brand next time. Sorry, no photos.

Here's a photo from last week:  Ava's introduction to the sand in Hawai'i!

L to R: Misty and Ava (photo by Misty)

For most of the day the cats conserve their energy in various parts of the house. Each of them has a favorite place: Shiro lounges on the armchair in the living room, Xander prefers the floor under the dining room table, and Chibi is almost always under the living room couch. They become more active in the evening around dinner time, which would also be hunting time if they were feral (or a wild cat). Here are Chibi and Shiro moving to their active hunting places.

Chibi in the cat run, getting ready for the big evening hunt!

Chibi generally spends the entire evening out in the cat run. Except if the neighbor is in their garage or along the side of the house near the cat run, then she bolts in to the house to hide.

Shiro getting ready to do the same!

Shiro likes to sit at the garage door, looking through the screen at the road beyond the garage. Since Momo has been gone he sits there and calls for his brother 3 or 4 times a day. 

Mom and Dad and Curt return from Las Vegas tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to hear of their adventures! Mom keeps telling me I should go with them. Curt says if Dad gets worse, I will have to go with them so he can watch one, while I watch the other. I sure hope they have wi-fi access in the keno lounge! (Dad is a keno player, Mom likes the video poker which Curt also likes.)

Happy Birthday to Amanda!