Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Domo and the extended labbit family!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Eat More Kale

Just so you know where the labbits stand on this issue, they think you should eat more kale, not mor chikin. 

Monday, December 19, 2011

Labbits Like: Orange Glazed Mini Bundt Cakes

Do these mini bundt cakes look Christmasy and delicious or what? There's nothing so Christmasy about bundt cakes themselves, but the dusting of the confectioner's sugar over these particular shapes looks wintry and cheery. They're also the perfect size to make as gifts for friends and colleagues for the holidays. These orange flavoured mini bundt cakes are super moist, light and fluffy, and very easy to make. Print the recipe here.

Orange Mini Bundt Cakes

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (about 1 large unwaxed orange)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (the insides of the above large orange)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously spray two 6 cup mini bundt pan with vegetable oil. (Or, if like Pipkin, you have only one, remember to wipe down and then spray the bundt pan again for the second batch. Oh yes, there's a second batch!)

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and orange zest to the flour mixture. Mix with an electric mixer on medium for a minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on high for another two minutes.

4. Pour enough batter to fill each cup 2/3 full.

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the mini bundt cakes comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

6. While the cakes are cooling, make the glaze: Squeeze the juice of one orange and add to a small saucepan. Add 2/3 cup sugar (or slightly less to taste) and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly, until sugar is dissolved.

7. Using a toothpick or a piece of clean, uncooked spaghetti, poke some holes into the mini bundt cakes. Drizzle the orange glaze over top.  When the cakes have cooled, sift confectioner's sugar over top.



Yields: One dozen mini bundt cakes.

Recipe: Adapted from Moogie & Pap's Tropicana Ultra Moist Bundt Cake

Friday, December 9, 2011

Labbits Like: Happy Hippo Kinder Biscuits!

What's this? Someone left a treat out on the dining room table. Pipkin's naturally very curious so...he unwrapped the packaging to find this jolly Happy Hippo!

Labbits wouldn't eat real hippos, and they do have a sweet tooth for cocoa. This Kinder Happy Hippo is a crisp and crunchy wafer with smooth hazelnut cream layered with milk and cocoa cream. Even though Pipkin felt a little guilty biting into the hippo's cute face, he has to admit it was a very tasty treat.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Mossy Trek


Pipkin hops along an old stone wall on the way to Prospect Hill in Dummerston, Vermont. He's surprised that these rolling hills, now covered with mature birch and pine trees, were once pastures. Only the surest of sure footed labbits should hop along moss covered stone walls. It can be very slippery! 


Pipkin could learn a thing or two about long distance travel from his new whale friends. Here they are, swimming their way through East Barnard, Vermont, carefully avoiding mossy stone walls.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Shelf Shrooms

Pipkin wonders if this shelf mushroom will make him grow big or shrink small. His friends have warned him that he shouldn't eat wild mushrooms, so it looks like he'll never find out...


...but personally, he thinks it makes him look big. (But maybe not big enough to climb up to the next shelf mushroom above him.)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Goldbunny


Pipkin happened to be in the neighbourhood of a Lindt chocolate shop when he came across this Smart car painted gold and detailed with labbit ears and bunny face, sitting outside the shop!


He couldn't get inside, but he did hop around its exterior to admire the handsome gold paint and painted whiskers. If only it were made out of chocolate...but then it wouldn't last long.


After a quick check around the ears (they were pretty clean back there), Pipkin went into the shop for a free nibble. Sadly, there were no chocolate bunnies, but these chocolate reindeer looked bunny shaped.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Labbits in Four Seasons

During their long swim north, the munko whales snuck into a cozy home in East Barnard, Vermont, where they found these whimsical labbit paintings. Each one depicts a labbit in a different season, from spring to winter. Noticeably missing was Vermont's fifth season - mud season. The whales thought Pipkin and the other labbits would appreciate this photo.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the gang!

Domo as a labbit. A labbit as domo.

And a sweet sweet honeybee. Very cute. Did you dress up for Halloween?

Friday, October 28, 2011

Sun Soaked Memory

Even the film is soaked in glorious light leaked sun. In this shot, taken with a Lomography Diana+, you can see the rocks that the munko whales climbed over, the day they came out of the Atlantic.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Remembering the Beach

Ever since the munko whales told Pipkin about where they came out of the sea, Pipkin has thought fondly about his time at Rye Beach. Here he is, soaking in the late May sun while out on a bike ride.

This image was shot with a Lomography Diana+ camera and a 20 mm fisheye lens.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

On the Shore of a Great Lake

Pipkin thinks about his friends back home in the Green Mountain State as he looks out over Lake Ontario.

This photo was shot with a Lomography Octomat camera. It shoots a series of 8 photographs over a span of 2.5 (ish) seconds.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

They Came From The Sea

You may remember, not too long ago Pipkin was surprised to find a couple of whales atop his favourite viewing binoculars at Hogback Mountain. They were making their way across Vermont to see their giant whale tail cousins in Burlington, Vermont. But where did they come from?

The sea, of course. They swam up out of the Atlantic on a beautiful day at Wallis Sands State Park in Rye, New Hampshire.

Knowing they'd be out of the water for quite some time, they took in the view from the beach.

And they watched the waves roll up.

And they got sprayed by the waves crashing against rock.

But then they had to say, "goo bye!" They'll be back...

Munko Tries Labbit Food

The labbits suggested to this little munko whale that he try a vegetarian diet. He doesn't seem to be too happy to be eating dandelion though. What do you think?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Mau5e5 Denied Entry to Deadmau5 Concert

When Deadmau5 announced an added Amherst MA stop on his Meowingtons Hax tour, Pipkin and the mau5e5 got very excited to go! They hitched a ride from southern VT all the way to the UMass campus, and couldn't wait to attend the show. Unfortunately they didn't think to buy tickets, and sneaking in through someone's purse only resulted in being booted out by security. One of the security officers said, "they'll be trash mau5e5 if you don't leave them in your car."

What did she think Pipkin and the mau5e5 were going to do? Hurl themselves at the stage? No, they just wanted to dance. Poor guys. Good thing it was loud in there. They had to listen to the whole thing from outside the Mullins Center. Next time, mau5e5....we'll sneak you in a little better. After all, people had all sorts of horrible projectiles and illegal drugs. Surely they'll overlook a 2" mau5ie.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Green Autumn on Fall Mountain

Pipkin took his new whale friends up Fall Mountain in North Walpole NH so they could take a look at the town he lives in. You can see the Connecticut River, which flows between Vermont and New Hampshire. You can also see the clock tower in downtown Bellows Falls, where Pipkin will often go to see a movie at the Bellows Falls Opera House. It's still pretty green for fall on Fall Mountain. Pip will have to return when the leaves change their colors. For the whales, they have to move on. They still have a ways to go before they make it to Burlington to see their whale cousins.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Dining Al Fresco

Nothing beats dining outdoors under a setting sun.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Labbit Travels: Return To Hogback Mountain

Hey! Who are these guys?!
It was another beautiful fall day so Pipkin hitched a ride with some bikers and returned to Hogback Mountain to check out the fall colors. It's typically peak leaf peeping season around Columbus Day weekend, but perhaps because of Tropical Storm Irene and all the rainfall in the summer and early autumn, the colors were still quite green.

That wasn't the biggest surprise for Pipkin. The biggest surprise happened to be these pint sized whales he found hogging his favorite viewing perch! (Be fair, Pipkin, and share!)

Whale tails sighting in southern Vermont!


He had a chat with the two whales (the white is a munko whale, and the pink one a munkosaur) and discovered they are on a trek to visit their whale brethren in northern Vermont. They have been land swimming a long way!

Pipkin offered to sneak them north to Bellows Falls, and although they do prefer to swim, the whales thought they'd appreciate the break. Perhaps we will see more of the munko and munkosaur's adventures!

Pipkin gets his turn at his viewing spot.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Sunny Fall Days

Summer is over and we're well into autumn, but the leaves are still pretty green in the Green Mountain state. The sun is shining bright and you might be fooled into thinking it's still summer when the leaves haven't changed to a brilliant gold, red or orange. The temperatures this weekend are even into the mid to high 70s (around 23 Celcius, my non-American friends). So when the sun shines bright like this, the labbits naturally think of one thing: ice cream. And where better to enjoy it than at Kimball Farm, with a grilled cheese sammy and a side of waffle fries and a slice of watermelon? Yum.

Pipkin's eyes are bigger than his stomach, and he got a little greedy, thinking 50 cents more for the large ice cream would be awesome. Well, this serving of ice cream turned out to be bigger than Pip himself. It could probably serve 4 - 6 labbits! Sometimes, more is not better.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Chilly Afternoons at the Farmer's Market

The days are getting shorter and the nights colder, and in the late afternoon, Pipkin sometimes feels a chill even with the crowd at the Bellows Falls Farmers Market. He snuggled down into some hand dyed wool in the hopes of staying warm - and perhaps a little undetected.


However, these vibrant colors do nothing to hide Pip. Still, it's a cozy place to hang out for the evening.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Pipkin Likes Purple

This is by far the cleanest, well kept VW van that Pipkin has ever seen! And such a lovely purple, too.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Labbit Gaga

The labbits draw inspiration from Lady Gaga's bubble dress.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Foamy 'Staches

Foamy mustaches at Downstreet Cafe in Bellows Falls, VT.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Two Wheeled Fun

Pipkin's been known to hitch rides on motorcycles and bicycles, so Clover followed his lead and found a friendly group of riders to ride with.  She lucked out with a Sunday morning community ride in Putney, Vermont. There were four different rides offered, all on the lovely dirt backroads of Putney. Clover took a look at the maps to see which one she wanted. Something long, but not too fast!

There were short rides in town for young kids and families, a "Steep n' Sweet" tour, and a "Tamer Tour" with hills but nothing too crazy. That one sounded just perfect. But the real clue that it was going to be a great ride:

The route was shaped like a bunny! That was definitely the right ride. She hopped into an underseat bag and zipped herself in so she could peek out the back. What fun! And after the ride, she joined the riders on the green in Putney to enjoy lemon iced tea, cranberry scones and berry muffins from Front Porch Cafe. This won't be the last time she joins in on some two wheeled fun. Big thanks to the West Hill Shop in Putney for organizing the community ride, and thanks also to the Front Porch Cafe, for feeding a bunch of sweaty bikers on the green.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Apple Pickin'

Clover peeks out from behind an apple at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, NH. Apple season is in full swing, and Alyson's boasts over 50 varieties of apples, and also grows peaches, pears, plums, grapes and berries, both for PYO and for sale at their farm stand.



Monday, September 19, 2011