Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 113

Hi Team!


I have absolutely no idea how many steps I took today because Pete reset himself several times. In any case, I was sitting in the car for 5 hours of my day (counting going from home to work, work to home, home to church and church to Dallas, Oregon). Then I sat down to dinner and then sat through almost 3 hours of scorekeeping. I would have to say I did NOT get much physical exercise today.

Fluids were not readily accessible most of the day for me, but I seem to have made up for it while scorekeeping. I drank pretty much the entire 2 quart pitcher of water that was on the official’s table. That combined with sporadic fluids through out the day probably put me at close to 3 ½ quarts! Amazing, and still I feel thirsty! I hope that doesn’t mean what it usually means.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I slept much either. I kind of got sucked into a really good story that one of my friends is writing and I couldn’t stop reading. At 11:30 I realized I had to be up in 5 hours and I went to bed! Oops! I guess that makes me only 1 for 3 this time. Amazingly, I didn’t fall asleep in the car during all that traveling either.

Remember in my last post I said I had made cookies? Well, I baked them anyway. They were pre-mixed, pre-measured cookies that I bought from a fund raiser. I had baked and packaged up a bunch for my Crusty Jake friend, Gigaherz, but this morning I ate one of the leftovers and it was AWFUL! I threw the sugar cookie/M&M’s cookies away entirely. Bravely I sampled the oatmeal raisin cookies. They were not great. But I figured that most firemen would at least eat them so I didn’t toss them. =(  I had more in the freezer and I baked them -the m&m's ones came out a little better with less bake time, but not great still.)  It just so happens that another Crusty Jake friend, Superchef, posted a cookie recipe last night that I happened to read and they looked easy to make. On the way home from work this morning I stopped at the store and picked up a couple of ingredients I needed for them. I mixed the dough, following Superchef’s instructions then I tasted it and thought it a bit bland so I embellished a teeny bit. It made a big difference!

The cookies smelled scrumptious as they baked. When I finally got to try one, I knew Superchef had posted a winner! Vanilla (or White Chocolate) Orange Cookies! DROOL!! OMG! I thought they were amazing. I packaged some up for Gigaherz and another package for “my guys” at station 10- the busiest house in our state. (Remember I claim the entire fire department, hence the “my guys”) On the way out of town, I stopped by 10’s to deliver their treat. Not surprisingly, but sadly, the barn was empty. I left the cookies in the newspaper tube with a note on the door for when they return. My guys don’t really know me yet, so I hope they will brave enough to eat them! I did call my friend, Joe, who works in the department and left a message asking him to give 10’s a call if he could and vouch for me. Of course he wasn’t in and I had to leave a message. And now I have asked him for a favor and it involved cookies so I am obligated to bring him some too, soon. :D

Here’s the recipe for you, my team mates, should you want to try these fantastic cookies:

Crusty Jake Orange Vanilla Chip Cookies  By:  Superchef

2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 Tbsp grated orange zest

1 cup vanilla chips*



*you can also use white chocolate chunks/chips

preheat oven to 350F.

In large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter with sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Add flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in orange zest and chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. leave several inches between cookies for expansion. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on sheet for 1 minute then remove to rack to cool completely.

makes about 2-3 dozen cookies

*MY SECRET IS TO ADD ABOUT 1 TABLESPOON OF (THAWED) FROZEN ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE TO THE DOUGH, WHEN YOU MIX IN THE EGG.

Coach Alex, if you convert these to gluten free, please let me sample them! You do amazing work!
The rest of you, if you try these, let me know what you think of them so I can give your compliments to Superchef!

All right. It is late (as it always is after a quiz meet) and I am tired. I’m going to bed!

Stay safe.

Hotflash out.