Saturday, November 27, 2010

adelaide's 1st birthday










  since everyone says that the first birthday is mostly for the mom, as the kid is so overwhelmed and tired by such an event, i decided to devote my time and energy to details that i liked. call me selfish, but when she's old enough to talk, she can tell me her favorite colors, but until then, i will let her borrow mine- of course turquoise.

as i posted before, i saw these adorable flags at a botique here in Port Orchard and then on this blog. since that, i've been obsessed and am finally satisfied now that i made them. i am pretty sure that i almost finished them while chatting on the phone with a friend. it was also nice to not have to pull out my tension-challenged sewing machine. all that was needed was tacky glue slapped between the flags. the letters were pulled from Martha Stewart's clip art. the scraps from the flags i was able to "tie" in on the tutu. (as the tulle and fabric are basically just tied onto the elastic- so easy)
a little turquoise frosting topping carrot cakes (she's my little red-headed carrot cake), some coordinating pink and blue candies from the local candy shop, and then a scrumptious family style chard &mushroom quiche (from none other than dec. '10 issue of martha) and voila! first birthday complete!

now, i am having a hard time comprehending that i no longer have a baby. i'll be ok.

Friday, November 19, 2010

eat pray [i] think







in honor of this month's cover article on Christianity Today- "Eat, Pray, Think" by Leslie Leyland Fields, addressing CAFOs, an issue that i have been passionate about, i wanted to suggest to you a few books that are must reads on the subject of food and it's ugly truth.

the first book i read on this "conspiracy of the truth about our food" was Animal Vegetable Miracle, where Barbara Kinsolver questioned everything i knew to be true about food. whether it was the Ed Hume seed packets i bought every spring (warning, they will self-destruct) or the little perfect "mini-carrots" that are so meticulously shaped unlike nature's true shape.

however, i think both Kinsolver and Pollan in Omnivore's Dillema address a more shocking and sobering picture and that is of the animal industry. no longer should they be called farms (although the package of bacon, eggs, or other meat product has such a pretty landscape picture of such) but instead these CAFOs should be called something much more horrific. the restrictions (or lack thereof) that "farmers" have in regards to the animal's cancerous, virus ridden, antibiotic filled bodies and what they can get away with slapping a "USDA prime" sticker and feeding it to the general public. ok, ok, without me going on and on about the issues of where and how chicken nuggets are made, why we are so lackadaisical about when we buy watermelon (really? in middle of december is it such a must?) or other out of season foods imported from chile or some other 3rd world country, i will just direct you to a few sources so you can become as much of a raving lunatic like me.

who knows, maybe you will have a little bit more insight into where your food comes from and at what cost it is to other human beings, the environment and animals- all who were created by God for us to respect and steward in such a way that is not always coherent with this nation's addiction to cheap & manufactured food and it's toxic byproducts.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

glitterfy


this year i have resolved not to buy anymore ornaments that break and shatter- as pretty as they are. i plan to print out clip art and glitter the heck out of them. did i mention that i love glitter? i know that the house will be covered head-to-toe with the flecks of mica, but its a risk i am willing to take.

Monday, November 15, 2010

serenity brownies. its not just about baking.

i sit here still licking the last of the batter off the spoon like i did when i was little. waiting as the windstorm's force is threatening to call off this whole brownie making process and make me sit in the dark with a bowl of half melted chocolate and a belly aching for ooey gooey goodness. but, i think i might be safe. with the brownies in their right place (in a 350 degree oven nestled in a perfect cradle of parchment paper and pyrex) and the smells wafting, i think i accomplished my goal. true, the obvious eventual goal is to indulge a late night craving of double chocolate heaven, but as is the joy of baking for me most of the time is that i was able to... go away. some may call it their "happy place", some refer to it as "me time"... whatever it may be to you, it was a place where bills & budget spreadsheets dared not enter, a place where little fingers were not licking every surface that they may think would be sugar (but they wind up dissapointed, but not detered when they find its only baking soda) and a place where i can just be. my mind thinks about the texture of the pecans, the velvety river, no- placid lake of butter and semisweet baking chips melting into eachother and the beautiful way that dark cocoa powder incorporates with stark white flour. made me think about whipping cream with cocoa powder in it- taking it from plain to rich. "hmmm... i think i will make a double chocolate cream pie- complete with chocolate whipping cream for our church's agape feast..." anyway, back to my serenity brownies. i kept thinking about that during the baking process- what movie is that from: "serenity now."? well, i found it. with the timer due to beep in just a few mins, i finally found what i was looking for at the end of a long day. where i used to pick up a paint brush to a canvas to escape to a thoughtful place, now, my tools are a bit more readily available in short small windows now that i am a mom to two precious little ones. a kitchen aid, some quality baking chocolate and lots and lots of butter (yes, Julia, you are so right) i am free to make a creation even if it won't last till morning.

*here's the recipe. i added pecans instead of walnuts and 1tsp of instant espresso powder to enhance the wonderful cocoa taste. enjoy, and hopefully you can tap into your "happy place" whether in eating them, or making them.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

imago dei artists

artist: nate grubbs, series collection of absent space
having visited the church before, i was astonished at the sheer volume of talented artists in one space. with them gathering to worship God and responding in their creative way. i have written before that i feel closest to the divine or Imago Dei, Image of God when i am creating. whether it is a painting, pie, or piece of clothing. here are a few artists' works that caught my attention. there are so many more, so click on the image for their site in specific.

rachel austin, paper planes


erik railton, hue

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

have you ever heard of these things?

hermit bars- supposedly very versatile and good keepers for long voyages way back when. around here, they'll get eaten in a few seconds if my 3 year old has anything to do with it, but its still nice to know that you can tuck some away.

i made some modifications to the recipe below by omitting rasins and ginger and adding 2tsp instant espresso coffee (in ode to my Betty Crocker's recipe using 1/4c. cold coffee), 1/2c.semi sweet choc chips, 1/3c. chopped pecans and 1/3 c. crasins. oh, and decorate with turbinado sugar after molding logs. happy baking!
i call these "fall in a bar"
Hermit Bars
Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda


2 teaspoons ground ginger


1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature


1 cup loosely packed light-brown sugar


1 large egg, room temperature


1/4 cup unsulfured molasses


3/4 cup raisins


Directions


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.


2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl once. Add molasses; beat until combined, and scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour mixture and raisins; beat on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator to chill 30 minutes.


3.Remove dough from refrigerator, and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a 12-inch log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart.


4.Place in oven, and bake until logs are golden but still very soft to the touch, 20 to 22 minutes. The logs will flatten out and lengthen as they bake and get slightly puffy in the center. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice logs into 1-inch-wide bars. Hermit bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

an artist who reminds me of The Artist

a few years ago i watched a netflix documentary on an artist i knew nothing about, but quickly became transfixed. his name is andy goldsworthy. his medium is nature.

 
the thing that i love most about him as an artist is the patience that it takes to complete a piece. all of the elements come into play; the wind, tides, night & day, temperature, animals, and even his own physical limitations can add to and subtract from a work.
what would be hard for me is the extreme humility it takes to let a piece of work that you have literally poured your time, sweat and emotion into, only to let it die in due time. i am all about freezing a piece in time and keeping it forever to show how hard i worked on something. (look, look! look how good i am everyone!) the fluid, transient nature of his work speaks to me as a person in being able to let go. letting go of something you have put out there for yourself and others- be it a gift you've given to someone, a meal you've painstakenly made, or even a project that you (quietly) seek recognition from.

i want to know what it means to grow in Christ and be used as his hands and feet and seek no other recognition other than to give glory to Him. in works such as Andy's i see his talent, but to me, it also brings glory to the ultimate Creator who made such beautiful works too amazing to put in a frame.

regal turquoise

as if i need another piece of turquoise in my house. i've always loved the combo of turquoise and yellow- or more specifically gold. see the how-to at marthastewart.com here

Thursday, November 4, 2010

hmmm. i could get used to this.

welcome beautiful fall days that i have maybe never seen in washington! we never get those indian summer days where the sun is allowed to warm the maple leaves to the perfect shade of auburn, tangerine and gold. i am cheating a bit when i add a picture not from this week's glorious autumn weather, but i like this one anyway from an excursion that my husband and i took to mt. hood last month. we had to walk down a dirt trail, over a golf course and through a stream to get here. well worth the trip. i would love to paint this picture someday.