1300 Miles...Cooke City, Montana

It's now Day Four of our Yellowstone trip. No internet service for Day Two and too tired on Day Three, I am playing catch up on my travel journal.

Day Two was Cody, Wyoming. It was a beautiful drive over the Big Horn Mountains and into Cody. We went to the Cody Nite Rodeo.

Day Three off to Yellowstone. We drove the Chief Joseph Highway and over the Beartooth Pass to get to Cooke City. Breathtaking scenery and more snow on the mountains than I have ever seen and to think it's June. We arrived at Yellowstone early afternoon. What a beautiful place, so much to see and so many different landscapes. Wildlife watching is one of our focuses for the trip. Our first day in Yellowstone we saw Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Buffalo (they're plentiful), and Elk.

Day Four we were on the road before 6:00 am to look for wildlife. Upon entering the park, we were greeted by a buffalo who thought the road belonged to him. We were very cautious when trying to get around him. We headed for the Lamar Valley. The photographers and wildlife watchers with their spotting scopes and big lenses were at the first overlook in the valley. We pulled in and found they were spotting wolves. Also up on the ridge, way in the distance, were two grizzlies.

The one animal I really wanted to see up close was a bear. On our second day in the park, we were lucky enough to see two black bears up close. One was a full grown bear and the other probably around three years old.


We spent two nights in the town of Cooke City, Montana. Cooke City is a small historic town at the base of the mountains. You can stand at one end of the street and see the entire town. It's a snowmobile paradise in the winter and a great place to stay, just outside the northeast gate of Yellowstone in the summer. They have a general store that's on the National Historic Register and has everything from fly fishing supplies to groceries.

Day Five...Old Faithful

600 Miles...Casper, Wyoming

Day one of the Yellowstone road trip is complete. Our original trip plan was to go as far as Scottsbluff, Nebraska today. We were on the road before 7:00 am. After entering the trip data into "Roo" (the GPS) unit, we decided we could go futher, giving us another night in Yellowstone. After a few phone calls, to make some changes and cancellations , we set "Roo" for Casper, Wyoming.

Setting the theme for the week, lunch was at Ole'sBig Game Steakhouse in Paxton, Nebraska. If there's an animal you can hunt, it is mounted on the wall at Ole's. After lunch we were off to see Chimney Rock, just outside Scottsbluff.




Several downpours and lots of antelope later, we are in Casper, Wyoming.
Day 2...Cody, Wyoming.

Happy (Early) Birthday Tim!

My husband, Tim turns the BIG 50 in late July. I turned 50 first and chose a cruise to celebrate. This year was Tim's turn. Originally we looked into going on an Alaskan cruise but decided to wait a few more years for that trip. Of course, with the current state of the travel industry, we'd have gotten a real bargain if we had chosen the Alaskan cruise. Instead, Tim chose a road trip to Yellowstone. We're so happy that Tim's 16 year old son Michael will be going with us. He's also excited and looking forward to the trip. Maybe he's really an adult living in a teenage body? Excited about an 11 day road trip with his parents?

We (or should I say I) started planning our trip over 6 months ago. I am a total planner, so it's been easy and fun for me. Hard to believe, we leave Thursday morning. The laundry room floor is covered with totes and bags, cameras, binoculars, hiking shoes, rain gear and above all THE SNACKS. I am hoping everything fits in the car and leaves us room to bring home a souvenir or two.

I will be deviating from the cooking theme for the next couple of weeks and posting updates on our travels.

What is a Peppadew?

On Guy Fieri's show Guys Big Bite, Guy made a Peppadew Aioli. I had never heard of Peppadew's.



Peppadew's are piquant peppers grown in South Africa. They are the only new and unique fruit discovered since Kiwi. They're sweet yet slightly spicy. I wonder where I can buy them? I'd like to try them stuffed with cheese as an appetizer.

Snookie's Cobbler

On our last visit to see my husband's family, his sister Rosemary (Snook's) invited us for lunch and to see her newly remodeled kitchen. The kitchen looks beautiful and lunch was delicious.

For dessert, Snooks made one of the best cobbler's I've ever eaten. While we were cleaning up the kitchen, I asked her for the recipe. She said, "It's the easiest dessert to make." She was absolutely right, it's very easy and delicious.




Snookie's Cobbler

2 cans of pie filling (flavor of your choice)
Yellow or White Boxed Cake Mix
1 stick of butter

In a 9 x 13 pan, spread pie filling. Sprinkle cake mix over top of pie filling. Dot butter on top of cake mix. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Sesame Roasted Asparagus

Looking for a different flavor for another bunch of this Spring's wonderful asparagus, I found a Food Network recipe for Seasame Grilled Asparagus. I adaped the recipe to roast the spears in the oven. I wish asparagus season lasted longer!!!
Sesame Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and black pepper
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes .

Roasted Dill Potatoes

The dill in my Aero Garden is growing like crazy. I have more dill than I know what to do with. I am searching for new ways to use it. Tonight I decided on Roasted Dill Potatoes.



I adapted my normal roasted potatoes recipe by adding some chopped dill and some garlic. Not over powering, the dill just added a nice flavor to the potatoes.

Roasted Dill Potatoes
4 - 5 New Potatoes, quartered
Olive Oil
1 tsp garlic
2 - 4 tbsp fresh chopped dill
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Combine all in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven, 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.