Cozy food for book club.

From left: Meegan, Beth, Sandy, Judy and Barb, with me behind the camera.

It's been rainy, grey and cold the last couple of days, perfect weather for the hearty soup that two people made for book club last night. Beth made a velvety broccoli cheese soup and Barb made a lightened up version of Marry Me White Bean Soup.

Hearty winter soups call for carbs for soaking up the broth, so Sandy made blue corn muffins, Beth made a cottage cheese dill loaf, and Barb brought a crusty sourdough loaf that I forget to get a picture of.

Adding to the coziness was Judy's cheesy stuffed chicken.

Meegan added a touch of cool crispness with her cucumber chickpea salad before I brought out my decadent Texas Sheet Cake! The buttermilk and cocoa powder make this a luxurious cake that I only allow myself to bake once or twice a year. This time it was to celebrate the December birthdays in book club (including mine) because we didn't meet last month. Those are toasted chopped pecans in the icing, which is poured over the cake while the cake and icing are still hot.

Oh, the book was "Secret of Secrets" by Dan Brown.

Have a delicious day

Eight hikes down!

Today was Hike # 8 in my 70th birthday challenge to complete at least 70 hikes in the next year. Barb and I did the Linda Vista Loop, which is only about half a mile from my house but seems like worlds away once you're deep into the saguaros on the flank of Pusch Ridge.

Facing west, you can see the town of Oro Valley spread out between Pusch Ridge (in the Catalina Mountains) and the Tucson Mountains on the horizon.

But as soon as you turn east and start hiking up the mountain, civilization disappears.

In the foreground, above, is the remnant of a dead saguaro cactus. Above it on the horizon is a healthy saguaro, and to the left is an ocotillo with red blooms on its tips.

That's prickly pear in this foreground (above), with the ridge rising up into a beautiful blue sky. It was sunny and 58 with a slight breeze, perfect for hiking in shorts and a t-shirt.

The higher elevations are closed to hikers from Jan. 1-April 30 because the bighorn sheep have their babies then. You can see in the photo below how high the ridge goes.

This many-armed saguaro is from a hike a few days ago on the Canyon del Oro to 50-Year Trail loop. Can you see Barb poking out from behind it? It's plump and bright green from our recent rain.

We had some heavy rain around New Year's Eve, so the saguaros are looking happy. Their accordion-like structure allows them to swell with water that carries them through the dry season. Their spines actually provide shade for the plants as well as protection from some animals. And they sure keep humans at a distance!

This saguaro riddled with holes on the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve is a cactus hotel! The holes were drilled by woodpeckers, who lay their eggs in the cavities. After the woodpeckers abandon their nests, other cavity nesting birds move in, like elf owls, cactus wrens, starlings, purple martins and kestrels. They also become homes to spiders, snakes, mice and other desert creatures. 

Last week was the first time I hiked at Vistoso. So many trails to explore here! I'm glad Barb is on this 70-hike journey with me because we encourage each other to hike farther, higher and more often and to explore different trails.

Have a colorful day