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Competing with the MIL or the Tale of Perfecting Oatmeal Cookies...

Since then it's only gotten better...

After we got married I realized that the battle to find and commit to a man was a simple one when compared to the challenge to come.  No, I am not referring to marriage itself, oh no, what I am referring to is much harder than that.... What I refer to is the daily dinner battle.

Now, the daily dinner battle is not limited to what to cook, who's going to cook it or who's cleaning up....it's that there's always a third member in the kitchen - my mother in law, henceforth referred to as the MIL.

Yum yum....

My MIL is amazing.  I could not be more blessed to have been adopted as her daughter in law.  However, a part of my MIL's wonderful nature is that she is also an exceptional cook.  Hence the challenge: "babe, its good, but do you think you should call and get the recipe from my mom?"  How does a newly wed compete which such things!?!

Now, I am a mature young woman and recognize that I should learn where I can, and I pick my MIL's brain often about how she created this or how she recommends doing that, or simply asking to explain it to me from the beginning just one more time.  But its an interesting phenomena.  I have no pride wrapped in calling my parents for cooking advise (which I do frequently), but there's something about making that meal as good as he remembers that gets my competitive edge going.

He's giving you a smile!

 What I've learned is that there are some things that can be duplicated, a recipe can be followed and voila - dinner.  However, I can never duplicate a mother's love that went into preparing a dinner meal for her kiddos.  That try as I might, I cannot compete with the memory of those dinners.  Enough with the sentimentality....

I have successfully managed to create something better than my MIL!  I have spent a year and a half attempting to perfect Brandon's favorite cookie - the oatmeal raisin chocolate chip.  I have gone through many recipes and every time have received, "these are awesome babe, have you called my mom yet to get her recipe?"  This is one area I couldn't bring myself to call her on.  Cookies!  I can figure out cookies!  So I have baked, and I have found the answer as a mixture of many recipes and many failed attempts to win the very one-sided Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie War.  For those of you who would like to try these at home:

The I Finally Did It, I Made Something That's Better than my MIL's Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:

Pour HOT water over 3/4 cup raisins, let sit.  This plumps the raisins! 

In a mixer beat:

1 stick butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

Mix in:

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 - 3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups oats

Mix in:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Drained raisins

Put in refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350.  When preheated get out cookies, plop in small balls on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 min.  Makes about 2 dozen. ENJOY!

The Revolution of the Wife

Our "secret" spot

It's challenging keeping up one blog, yet my wonderful husband does just that with impressive diligence - check out Hokma.  Anyway, one blog is a time commitment - two is a time suck.  So, I will become the predominant updater of our joint blog, and in doing so will revolutionize it into what I want to write about....which honestly varies by the minute, so watch out.  Here is the feminine version of the Tales of Adventure, Laughter and Woe of the Colorado Grozas......

Brandon making his way up WI4+ (perhaps)

 Over the past few weeks, we have thrown ourselves into ice climbing.  Well, Brandon has become addicted to the sport, spending his waking hours sifting through MountainProject suggested flow locations and local ads selling used gear.  I tag along for the ride and enjoy experiencing the glow from his joy - much like the warmth one radiates after a bad sunburn.  Its wonderful to see him come alive as he embraces this newest adventure, and I try to be as excited about the latest ice climbing video or a new technique he's read about. 

Enjoying a beautiful day on the ice

Truth is, ice climbing is a blast!  The movement is fun and physical, the experience is exhilarating and the clear crisp days outside enjoying the company of my joyous husband can not be replaced.  

 Ice climbing would perhaps gain in its popularity if it wasn't so uncomfortable.  It is expressed in the name itself, however I would like to draw particular attention to the fact that ice climbers climb ice.  Ice is very cold, and for mother nature to create such a medium, it must be very cold.  

Marissa making her way

I don't do well in the cold.  I have learned the art of layering, the magic of hand and feet warmers and at times the desperation to do phenomenal dances coupled with aerobic feats at the base of climbs in vain attempt to warm myself.  Brandon does well with the cold, at least he doesn't complain.  But the cold can be conquered....what I have yet to master is how to avoid a phenomena, yet to be fully understood even by the brightest minds in medicine, called the screaming barfies.  

Oh yes, this is where people ask themselves....why would you partake in a sport affiliated with something as crude (and horrendous sounding) as the screaming barfies?  Well, frankly that's a pretty good question.  

As far as I've been able to understand, the screaming barfies is the complete loss of any sort of communication between brain and hands - and then with the sudden reestablishment of feeling, its as if hands are the hurt lover of the brain and through nerves have decided to get their revenge - what results is excruciating pain, that feels a bit like a mix of the worst pins and needles of your life while being scalded with boiling water.  This often results in nausea and dry heaves.  This experience is the result of the blood in your hands following the law of gravity and pooling somewhere other than your hands....this coupled with cold temperatures and grasping the ice tools results in previously described screaming barfie-hood. 

Mixed climbing at Clear Creek

Brandon is phenomenally gifted at this new passion - already leading challenging ice, climbing difficult routes and beginning to cut his teeth at dry tooling - a style of climbing demanding a lot of physical strength and technique.   The best part is how much he is loving this new hobby.  I am enjoying learning a new sport and being the belay slave/photographer on our outings. 

Well there will be more to come from the feminine side of the Groza duo. 

Ruper w/ Rover var.

Indian Summer anyone?! Up until a week ago we were climbing in shorts and a T-shirt. These pictures are from our afternoon jaunt up one of the most famous 5.8 climbs at Eldorado Canyon. Marissa and I climbed the lower half of this 4-5 Pitch gem a few months back but ran out of daylight and bailed from the upper ramp.

We beat two other parties to the base of the climb and spotted one party already on the route - it was going to be a waiting game but we reveled in the chance to meet some new people. It's always nice to have others around in case things don't go according to plan.

First Pitch - actually the start to Grand Giraffe

Nice semi-awkward finger crack - depends on finger size - it was tips+ for me and full on fingers for M - she loved it! 

It was a little greasy but mellow overall.

 

M following with the pack...what an amazing woman!

 

Rover Variation

Ruper should be done at least twice: once by the Ruper crack and once by the Rover variation. Rover is much more direct and although harder, is very manageable for the 5.9 Eldo climber. 

Pitch off the upper ramp.

This is probably the top 5 pitches of 5.7 I have ever done. Steep, buckets, great pro, varied movement and did I mention it's 170 feet long? Get on it!

The raps went off without a hitch. Do the Chockstone gully rap up to climbers left and then head down the Vertigo raps. We met another party who had just finished the Italian Arete and were able to combine ropes to double rap to the walk off.

What a great afternoon!

Third Flatiron

Back on October 15th Marissa and I headed up the Third Flatiron. We did the College Dropout aka East Face North Side route. Mountain Project calls it 5.7 but Marissa and I both agreed there was maybe one very well protected 5.7 move.

We planned on doing the standard East Face route but saw that it was jammed pack with slow moving parties. The party that started off just as we did had a brilliant exchange higher up on the route:

The leader, who was clearly the more experienced of the two, was about a full ropes length out, in the middle of terrain in which he looked a tad bit uncomfortable, when his belayer first informed him of the status of the remaining rope.

The belayer yelled, "Three more feet!" To which the leader responded, "What! Why didn't you tell me sooner!!!" The leader had hoped to get to a ledge about 20ft above him, but it was not be. The leader frantically looked for a place for gear to set up a belay but realizing he had to down climb to a safer ledge cautioned his inexperienced partner not to "pull" him off the rock.

The two made it safely up and off the rock but they certainly provided us with some entertainment.

Here is M in the P-lot where we found some friends to keep us company:


My beautiful wife on a beautiful Fall (Indian Summer) day:


Looking over at the First Flatiron. I soloed this the next week via the Direct Route. The downclimb was very simple so no need to bring a rope to rap.

Climb underneath the rappel anchors about 20ft down working left on jugs, then work your way down and left on huge holds and then back down to the right when you reach the dead tree.


Easy, fun, and with creative nut placements, quite safe.


M leading the last pitch to the summit. She cruised it...pry the most delicate section of the climb, little to no pro and a tad bit exposed. Good thing she lead it!


Her look at the top as she searches for a place to build an anchor.


Marissa rapping off the summit. We hit bumper to bumper rappel traffic at the next station and decided to find our own way down. If you go skiers left through a cave you will find an eye bolt. Rap this with a 70m, aiming climber right, to a ledge and work your way over to a rock horn. Throw the rope over the horn and rap to the ground. Climb back up to the descent trail above you.


Most dangerous section of the climb. This was boulder hoppy on an well established trail but ripe for the twisting of a knee or ankle.


All smiles, beating the setting sun with just enough time to meet friends for a round of Disc Golf.