Baking Weekend 2025

This past weekend Two weekends ago was our annual Baking Weekend. Baking Weekend started as Baking Day twenty-five-ish years or so ago. It became quickly apparent that just a day wasn't going to work, and we expanded to Friday night for dough prepping, then baking all day Saturday. Then, that wasn't quite enough time to get everything done, and we expanded to baking on Sunday as well. Every year, it's a production, and I'm so thankful that Mom has the beautiful lodge and hosts our craziness.

This year, we had a little surprise! My Staci's daughter, S, joined us for the first time since she was a wee one. It's been 15 years and she's now in college! On top of that, my nieces and nephew decided to join us (usually one or two come up, but to have all three is a treat). AND ... the day before Baking Weekend, this little video popped up in my Facebook Memories:

The kids were so little! Now, they're (almost) all grown-ass humans, Asset being the exception, but she's a senior in high school. With all four of the not-so-littles at the lodge together for the first time in 15 years, we had a brief thought of re-enacting the video, but we were way too busy for that. Instead, we made them pose for pictures around the magic window cookies.

The pictures of the four of them were taken on Sunday, as we were wrapping up, so the pictures are out of order, but I'm just so excited and thrilled by this happiness, I had to share it right away.

After almost 30 years of doing baking weekend, you'd think we would have it all sorted out and we'd be a smooth, cookie baking machine, right? The truth is, we always get it done, but there's usually a lot of chaos involved. This year, however, we made a couple of changes that did turn us into a nice, smoothly running machine.

Annual group picture with my girls.

First, instead of piling ingredients onto the counter in the corner of the kitchen, we set up a six foot table outside the kitchen and piled everything there. That eased up congestion in the kitchen - we went out to the table to get the ingredients we needed for specific projects, then returned everything back to the table when we were finished.

A moment of brilliance that made everyone's life so much easier.

Several years ago, we started to prep the doughs that needed to chill on Friday night so that they'd be ready to go Saturday morning. For that, we are a well-oiled machine. We've had years of practice. We can crank out six batches of magic window cookie dough and a batch of gingerbread in less than an hour. Three of us got bowls, two of us measured out everything and dumped them into the bowls, and Mom supervised and washed bowls between batches. It works like a charm.

It's also the perfect time for us to catch up with each other before the real craziness starts Saturday morning. 

Mom keeps our tally board from year to year, and it's always fun to look back to see what we did the previous year. It looks like we were slacking a bit in 2023 with only 936 (78 dozen) cookies made. I'd have to look back at my memories to see why we did so few. 2024 was more of a normal year for us, with 1,420 (118.3 dozen) cookies made. That's pretty much our average, I think.

On Saturday, we usually jump right into our baking projects after breakfast, but this year, I suggested that we knock out the easiest projects first before moving into the more involved ones, and to leave the magic window cookies and gingerbread for later in the day when there were more hands to help. Nebalee's crew always comes in on Saturday afternoon and stays through Sunday.

Robs always comes up with fun projects, and this year she made peppermint Grinch cookies that were super easy and so very tasty.

These Grinch cookies were a hit!

We hit our groove pretty quickly and cookies started flying out of the kitchen. Not many action photos were taken, because we were having fun and cranking out the cookies. About noon, though, hunger for actual food, not cookie dough, kicked in and we paused long enough to munch on some real food.

The table filling up quickly.

After we recharged our batteries with lunch and a brief sit-down, we were back at it. We put S to work crushing the jolly ranchers for the magic window cookies. It was a lot easier for her this time than it was when she was just a four year-old and the mallet was as heavy as she was.

Nebalee and her boo showed up in the afternoon, followed by her kids, and their energy invigorated us. By the end of the day, we had quite a list of cookies completed, a full table, and we were dog tired.

Us, too, Reba. Us, too.

Saturday night's cookie-laden table.

Tally as of the end of day one.

Breakfast on Sunday was lively, with everyone there, which made my heart happy. As a raging introvert, it's not often that I jump into and relish chaos because it's absolutely exhausting in a family of extreme extroverts. However, a couple of times a year, my heart overflows with happiness at the chaos.

Sunday was primarily finishing up magic window cookies (the magnetic tally board stayed in the kitchen for easier tallying) and gingerbread. This year, our first batch of gingerbread refused to come together, so we whipped up another one and added water until the dough started looking and feeling "right", even though the recipe doesn't call for additional liquids.

Mid-morning, it was time to start packing up everyone's cookie bags/boxes/trays. I neglected to get a full table picture, but even after the packing up started, there were plenty on the table.

The table looked decimated, and we panic-baked a batch of Christmas M&M cookies that we'd forgotten to bake on Saturday. Once those hit the table, everything looked much better and we resumed packing up.

One of my jobs is the official tally nagger. We all love to know how much we baked each year, and I nag everyone to write their tallies down. This year, we had a record-breaking year! All cookies. Some years, we've counted any non-cookie items as well, such as fudge or chocolate-covered pretzels. This year's tally was strictly cookies.

Yes, that says 126 dozen!

There were a few left for Mom's cookie gift trays, and for her to put some magic window cookies up on the tree.

The biggest question we get every year is, "What do you do with all of those cookies?!"

We give them away. Every last one finds a home with friends/family/co-workers. Even with 126 dozen split between all of us, I realized that I forgot to make a box for a friend of ours, so Jay and I quick whipped up more Aztec and pumpkin spice cookies last night for today's deliver.

A Whole Lotta Fun

Or, one of my ideas of fun.

Our family refers to the drive up to the Lodge as "going up the hill" (not to be confused with "going out on the mountain", which means going for a ride).  I'm not sure where that came from, but for the more than thirteen years our parents have owned the Lodge, it's always been "going up the hill".  The phrase is deceptive as there is a 3,145 foot gain in elevation from Lyons to Allenspark in a mere 17 miles (or 16 depending on which road sign you're reading).  Now, Mrs Mom and Mr Mrs Mom have been with me during one of my more sedate runs up the hill, but the fact is I *love* driving the canyon.  Even in my old Honda Accords (there have been a lot of them), we made good time running up the hill.  I've had sports cars pull out of my way when I'm running the canyon.

Ripley does a great job of going up and down the hill and has done an even better job now that she's got her strut tower brace.  RCC videotaped our run up the hill on Saturday as one of his entries to the monthly video contest held by SoulHamsters.  Since I had such a good time driving it, I thought I'd share it with you.  From Hall Ranch, just outside of Lyons, to Allenspark our average speed was 65mph (around the curves), with our low being 55 when I mis-timed a downshift and lost momentum and our high being just over 70.

FB Links You Might Like

Or not, but I'm going to share them with you anyway.

First...drum roll please...Bill has set up a Facebook page for the Lodge.  Look for "Allenspark Lodge B&B".  The other page was kind of orphaned - Bill set it up and then couldn't figure out what to do with it.  Ashinator got him set up with a new one and it's ready to go.  There's a reason why there's not a GunDiva or Tales from the Trail Facebook page; I don't think I could figure out which end is up.

And, the Ashinator is starting her own small business.  Go check out her pics at "LaBrooke Photo Studios" on Facebook.  I know I'm a proud momma, but I love her pics.

It's A Small, Small World

When RockCrawlinChef and I were looking for places to stay outside of Yellowstone, he suggested a B&B.  Heck, why not?  It would be kind of fun to see one other than Mom and Bill's, so he found Yellowstone Suites in Gardiner, MT.

I told Mom that we were going to be staying in a B&B in Gardiner and she said, "Really? I helped set up a B&B up there five years ago or so," then she proceeded to tell me that one of her guests had talked to her about wanting to open a B&B and that they'd emailed back and forth for a year or so before the other lady bought her place.  Mom couldn't remember her name, after all, it had been five years or more, so I sent her the link to Yellowstone Suite's website and had her look at it.

A day or so later, after looking at the website, Mom said, "no, that's not the one," so I kind of shrugged it off.

When we got to the B&B, our hosts Julie (human) and Dancer (canine) welcomed us and showed us to our room, The Moran Room.  On the way up to our room, we noticed chocolate chip cookies on the table in the common area, but didn't snag any.

The next morning, we joined the other guests for our continental breakfast and Julie was telling us about the time a Grizzly was in her front yard.  I asked her how she managed to keep them out of the garbage.  I mentioned that my parents, who own a B&B, electrify their dumpster with a car battery.  She asked which B&B and when I told her, she pretty much repeated Mom's story word-for-word about visiting the Lodge and asking a million questions.

After we made the connection, both RCC and I realized that there were many similarities we should have picked up on them right away:

1. The canine host (every home should have one)
2. Naming the rooms instead of numbering them; makes the place feel more homey and less sterile
3. Fresh chocolate chip cookies; Mom's are practically world famous
4. The guest journal inside the room
5. The guest information notebook inside the room; even some of the rules were similar (don't feed the dog, especially)
6. Sitting to eat breakfast with us, family-style

In retrospect, those are all classic Allenspark Lodge touches (especially the fresh cookies daily) that I should have picked up on, but didn't because Mom had said that it wasn't the place.  When we got home and I told her that it was the place she'd helped set up, she was rather surprised because she remembered a different building.  Maybe Julie remodeled it or worked on it and it no longer looked like the one Mom remembered, who knows?

What I do know is that I would stay there again (and not just because of the similarities).  The rooms were beautiful and clean and the beds were out-of-this-world comfortable.

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Adventures of Ashinator will be post-poned until Saturday, due to a special MISSION MONKEY post tomorrow.  We're starting our big donation drive to help out Monkey and her family and hope to raise $1,500 over the weekend.  Check back in on Friday for information about how to donate and get entered into the raffle.

Today's Work-out

So not many people would consider working at a B&B as exercise, but those are the people who romanticize B&Bs.  The reality is that it's a lot of work.  Especially if the B&B has thirteen bedrooms and sleeps twenty-eight. 

Mom needed some help, while Bill's off with his family, so I went up last night to help with dinner, which meant cooking for only twelve guests - not too much exercise, but constant movement.  Luckily, last night, the lodge was only half-full.  After dinner, the table needed to be bussed and the dishes washed.  Again, not a lot of strenuous exercise, but constant movement.

I slept like a rock last night - always do at the lodge.  I joke that it's because I'm hypoxic at that altitude, but really, I think it's because the mountains are just part of me and I sleep like a baby in them.

This morning, cook breakfast, set the table, buss the table, wash dishes.  Just steady constant movement.  After breakfast, time to tear down the bedrooms on the second floor; strip the sheets off the bed and haul them down the stairs to the laundry room.  Three *large* laundry baskets full of sheets and towels down the stairs - beginning to feel like work - or at least weight-bearing exercise.

And were we done?  Oh no.  It's still winter at the lodge, so it was on to haul in firewood.  Six loads apiece, through the hot tub room, dining room and living room.

That slave driver even got me to help make up the beds in one room (I left before all of the laundry was done, or I'd've been remaking all of the beds with her).

The bonus?  I mean, besides the exercise.  I got an amazing nap after hauling in the wood.  I love naps - how many calories does that burn?  Certainly I burned a few calories climbing to my room on the third floor and carrying my dirty linens down.

Okay, so my mom can work circles around me at the lodge, but she's not forty pounds overweight.  Oh, and she does this every day, so she's in shape for it.  Tomorrow, I know that I'll feel muscles I forgot I had. 

On the way home from the lodge, I was mentally writing this post (which was nothing like what just came out of my fingers) and I passed the area where Mom's horses are wintering.  Then I did a double take and slammed on the brakes.  The herd was at the river, just a few feet from the road.  Of course I had to stop to see the babies.  I haven't seen Mom's herd since they went down in November (Estes went down in October and is being kept on the "fat" pasture to keep weight on her).

I climbed through the fence and called them over.

Ranger was the first to come over for cuddles,

but when he found out I didn't have treats he went back to grazing.

Doc isn't part of Mom's herd, but is part of the winter herd.

Dutch is the horse that Digger first fell in love with,

he's also not part of Mom's herd, but is part of the winter herd.

Washoe could maybe use some time on the fat pasture with Estes.

He's looking a bit ribby, but was happy, happy to see me :)

Jesse looks great.

She tends to run heavy, but has wintered beautifully.

I'm missing a picture of one of the horses - Peanut - who wouldn't get far enough away from me for me to take a picture.  You may remember Peanut from Digger's wild ride, he's gotten much cuddlier than he was when we used him at the livery.

The Easiest, Most Versatile Recipe On The Planet

Other than ordering in, that is.

My parents own the Allenspark Lodge and are well known for their scrumptious breakfasts.  They have no formal cooking training, but always earn rave reviews about their food whether it's breakfast or dinner.  (They don't serve dinner to the public, but do offer it as a choice for groups who rent the entire lodge for events.)  I, on the other hand, am not known for my culinary skill.  I can cook well enough to keep my children and myself alive.  I can even cook well enough for casual enterainment, but let's just say that it's a very good thing that I married RockCrawlinChef.  So, imagine how thrilled I was when Mom said she was making my Chicken Green Chili Stew for dinner on Sunday night.  We got to talking about some of my other favorite recipes and I can't believe I had never told her about my very favoritest recipe of all time.

Shredded Chicken

• 4 frozen chicken breasts
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 jar 505 Green Chili
• water to cover

Throw everything in a crockpot and let it simmer 4-6 hours.  Use two forks to shred the chicken.

Great, now you've got shredded chicken, now what?

Now you've got meals for the whole week, just by tweaking the chicken.  You can:

• Serve the chicken over rice or egg noodles.
• Take a portion, thicken it with sour cream and use it for burrito or enchilada filling.  For white enchiladas, fill the tortillas with chicken filling, roll and put in a baking pan.  Mix one can Cream of Chicken soup with one can Stokes Green Chili with pork; pour over the top, sprinkle with cheese and heat in the oven.
• Mix with frozen vegetables, pour in a baking sheet.  Mix Bisquick crust according to package directions, cover the filling and bake for the best chicken pot-pie on the planet.

Again, there's nothing in the recipe that's bad for you and if you want to use low-fat, low-sodium Cream of Chicken, you'll never notice the difference in the flavor.  The 505 Green Chili is certified organic with no preservatives, so once the jar's open, it needs to be refridgerated and used quickly.

I've now shared pretty much my entire recipe collection, so if you want more recipes, visit my parents' blog It's A Horse Life, where my mom posts one of her favorite B&B recipes each month.  Please ignore Bill's recipes, they may be humorous, but don't taste a very good.  Don't worry, it will be easy to tell whose recipe is whose.