Eric and I just returned from a quick weekend trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you probably already know that Jackson is one of my favorite places in the world. If you're new to this blog, well, I write about Jackson a lot (see here, here and here.)
We try to head up to Jackson Hole at least a few times each year. During the winter, Eric skies the expert slopes while I either tumble my way down the mountain or make less of a fool out of myself on the cross-country trail. During the summer, we hike almost every day. Hiking's my thing, but I'm not the most fun companion unless you are already familiar with my hiking idiosyncrasies: I like to go fast and only allow for short resting breaks on the trail (unless of course we happen to see a moose or a bear or something really Instagram-worthy.) If you like to meander and identify wild flowers along the way.......then I'll see you back at the bottom.
During both winter and summer, we eat. It surprises many visitors to find that Jackson Hole has a great food scene, offering everything from traditional western steakhouses to organic vegan cuisine, and the best huckleberry ice cream this side of Jellystone Park (does this Yogi Bear reference make me sound old?). AND, since you pretty much have no choice but to be active all day long, you can indulge without gaining an ounce. You see? The perfect vacation!
When we head out of town for a short trip, we are lucky enough to have a good friend, Jen, who watches our dogs so that they don't have to attend "doggie camp" (a.k.a. the kennel.) As perfect as I like to think our puppies are....... Forget it. They're far from perfect. Cute? Sure. Obedient? Not a chance. Eric and I completely failed in the dog training department. When I texted Jen to see if the dogs were behaving well, her response said it all:
"Well, there aren't that many rules for them to break, so they are doing fine!"
I am grateful to anyone who is willing to take care of our pups multiple times, so I always make sure to bake lots of treats for Jen to enjoy while she stays at our house. This time, I made her some super-moist-and-super-easy banana muffins with a tropically inspired twist, incorporating sweetened shredded coconut, macadamia nuts and some cinnamon/cardamom spice. The batch makes a generous 24 muffins, but I always bag the extras for Jen to bring home--they'll freeze beautifully for at least two weeks.
For our next trip to Jackson, we are bringing the dogs. That should be a verrrrry interesting 9 hours in the car.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:6]
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
Your muffins look amazing! Love the tropical flavors you used!
Julie @ Peanut Butter and Julie
Thanks so much, Jennifer! Fortunately, it was all in my pantry (I knew those macadamias would come in handy!)