Breaking the Silence

Since the last post was so very long ago, I decided it was finally time to update this thing. We decided to move back to the Portland area - Wilsonville to be exact. It was such a stale mate for a long time and hard to make a decision. We prayed like crazy for the Lord to have us do what He wanted. Ultimately my sweet sweet husband just had a peace about moving back to Oregon. I'm so thankful for a husband that leads his family, and being able to trust in his wisdom because he's trusting in the Lord.

So we've been back down here in our cozy little apartment for the past 3 weeks- settling in, getting all the transitional legwork (health insurance, utilities, change of address, deposits back, internet, blah blah blah) taken care of, unpacking, and reconnecting with friendships, our church, and the community. There are definitely things (mostly people) that we miss from Yakima, but it is good to be back. Hopefully our scheme to move all of the people we love in Yakima into our apartment complex will be realized in the near future. Until then, we will keep plugging away. Searching out opportunities to glorify our Lord and be used by Him.

In Limbo

Not to be confused with the classic party game where you dance under a stick... For the past couple years  Actually probably since we've been married we've been at what feels like a constant crossroads. For jobs we've been all over the board (Jake's worked at Jeld Wen,  at a coffee shop, at another coffee shop, as a bookkeeper, as a A/P guy, as a RA for a bible school, back to the A/P thing, and now has two job offers for a youth pastor and a special projects manager...) while at the same time starting a million different little business ventures of our own (flipping furniture on craigslist, putting up Christmas lights, selling Granolas and berry plant starts and stuff on etsy, writing an e book on how to become a barista- just to name a few), and living and moving to quite a few different places (an apartment in Newberg, owning a house in Sherwood, moving to Tieton, moving into a RA room, house sitting for 3 months, a duplex in Yakima). It's hard to fully convey the constant wrestling that has taken place in our hearts and our heads and our prayer life over the last four years. We've been blessed and provided for every step of the way, but boy has it been an adventure.

And that brings us to today. We currently have a job offer in Portland and a job offer in Yakima. One to get back to a place that we love and would like to raise a family, and one that would be my husband's dream job of getting paid to teach the Word and shepherd middle school kids. Talk about constant wrestling. We've been doing a lot of praying and talking and it seems like we go round and round and round without making a lot of progress. Ultimately we just want the best the Lord has for us and to worship Him with our lives. Pray for us as the time to weigh things over is coming to an end and a final decision is looming.

Another Year, Another Loon

I can not believe it is the middle of July already! Sheesh, life is flying by! We just got back from our annual Loon Lake camping trip with my family. Always good to be together, eat tons of traditional snacks that aren't super healthy for you (think little smokies cooked over the campfire and smothered with havarti cheese), play some games, lay on the beach, and carry on all our little traditions. My aunt and uncle and their family as well as Jake's parents and cousin were able to join us for some of the time as well. We had beautiful weather too! I'm sad to wait a whole year to go back.
group shot

making ice cream

we went to a local baseball game for the 4th of July

spectacular firework show

rides on the beach during the whiffle ball game

starting the snacking at a young age

she was obsessed with her donkey

so proud of his fish

quiet morning with my love

best friends

grandma hayes always brings stuff to make her famous deviled eggs

love

Pickle My Fancy

We live in a place where fresh, locally grown produce is readily available at fruit stand after fruit stand after fruit stand. And for killer deals. Last fall I canned applesauce with my friend Holly and peaches with my mom. After sampling some pickled asparagus for the first time, I decided that would be my next canning adventure. Luckily Holly was willing to embark on it with me. It is so fun to have a friend that enjoys the same activities and endeavors as me! I got about 10 lbs of asparagus which yielded 7 qt size jars. I was hoping for more, so the next day I restocked on supplies and canned another 10# by myself. We thought we had found a pretty decent deal on asparagus at $1.29/lb the first day, but the second day at the same fruit stand I ended up getting almost 11# of asparagus for $6.00- SCORE. Here are a few photos of the process...
-$6.00 for 11#

-simple ingredients- white vinegar, water, jalepenos, garlic, and dill seed, pickling salt

-first wash the asparagus

-then cut to jar length

-then blanch for 1 minute in boiling water (to maintain color), and stop the cooking in an ice water bath

-prep all the seasonings

-fill warmed jars with asparagus, garlic, jalepeno, dill seed and brine (the brine consists of water, vinegar and pickling salt that has been brought to boiling and then kept warm)
-place warmed lids and rings on the jars and finger tighten
-boil in canner for 15 minutes, keeping water at a rolling boil and covering the jars by 1 inch

-admire the finished product (should be ready to eat in a little for 2 weeks)

Treasure Hunting: Taking Them For All They're Worth

As the weeks of yard sale season progress, I find myself getting bolder in my decisions to offer less on items. I used to be pretty timid to try to negotiate from an already good deal to one for the record books, but I have been gaining a confidence to just go for it. I figure the worst they can say is no, and I'll still be getting a fair price. This last week I think I talked down everything I bought. Here's the rundown:

*2 large boxes of mismatched canning jars: $3.00 total
*2 brand new boxes of canning jars with lids and rings: $6.00 total
canning pot with wire rack insert: free after bargaining
a pair of sperry topsiders for my husband: .50
4 pairs of running shorts (nike and asics): $1.25
swaddling blanket: $1.00
new white undershirt for my husband: .10
popsicle mold: .10
cheese slicer: .10
canning funnel: .25
tupperware container: .25
vintage pattern: .05
courderoy book: .25

grand total: $12.85
(* 1 box of new canning jars and 1 box of mismatched canning jars are for my friend Holly, so this brings my personal total down to $8.35 - Yippee!)

Treasure Hunting

I love yard saling. Note: thrift store shopping can also be included in this. There's just something about searching for exactly what you need and finding it for pennies. Just before yard saling season begins, I start to compile a list of things we need (not instantaneously) and hold off on purchasing them in hopes of finding them at a yard sale. Since the beginning of May, I've been going every Friday morning with some of my dear friends. The season started off kind of rough, with "yard sales" we found being barely more than a single pile of old clothes thrown out on a tarp. Last weekend though was the cream of the crop thus far, scoring multiple items on my checklist. Even my husband was impressed! Here is the bounty:

7 vintage beaded necklaces (for future craft project): $1 for all
pinking shear scissors: $1
full canister of butane fuel: .25
vintage heavy duty iron: .75
brand new badminton set: $4
coleman quick pump: .50

total: 7.50 for all

Camping Kick Off

This was maybe the first Memorial Day since we've been married that we actually had the holiday off. We knew we wanted to get out of town and definitely be outdoors. So the obvious choice was made to go on the first camping trip of the season. It wasn't as long as we planned - we didn't end up going for the whole weekend since rain clouds toyed with us on and off, and no one likes to camp in the rain. However, we finally ended up saying let's just go for it and we packed up and went. We found the perfect camping spot with no one else around, totally free, on the river. A jackpot, considering the holiday. We ate until we felt sick (crackers and dip, fire roasted corn on the cob, fire roasted chicken nuggets, pickled asparagus, garlic bread, brownies,  bacon, hash browns, eggs), lounged by the fire, and snuggled up in a tent together. It was a great adventure with some great friends.

yeast is my friend

For so long I was super intimidated to make any recipe that included yeast in it. I had tried it a couple times and been disappointed in the outcome, so I just flat out gave up on it. Making an entire batch of something, using ingredients and a lot of time, only to have it not turn out and end up in the trash- there was nothing worse to me (at least as far as food goes). My dear friend Holly got me back on the wagon. She gave me her recipe for pizza dough, and a few pointers for working with yeast to go along with it. I'm proud to say that after a success story with making my own pizza dough and a couple of batches of cinnamon rolls, yeast is now my friend. There is nothing like homemade bread and the like. Recipes including yeast always seem impressive too. A prime example is my homemade cheddar jalepeno bagel recipe. Don't be intimidated- I have made it multiple times and never had a fail (only lots of applause from the people who eat them).

 A couple tricks I've found to make yeast produce good results:
1. I always mix the dry ingredients together first including the yeast, then add the warm water. Maybe this isn't scientifically the correct way to do it, but I always see the little bubbles that say the yeast is doing its thing.
2. People will tell you all different temperatures that your water has to be. What has worked for me is just making the water as hot as you can with still being able to put your fingers in it (maybe around 115-130 degrees?)
3. When I let my dough rise: I spray it with a little cooking spray on top so it doesn't stick to the bowl when it rises. I cover it with a clean kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out.  And I turn the oven to 200' then off once it feels warm and put the dough in there to rise.

Here is the delicious bagel recipe...
8 c flour
4 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs active dry yeast
1 Tbs salt
3 1/2 c warmish hot water
flavoring of choice: jalepeno cheddar, blueberry, cheddar and chive, cranberry walnut...etc

-mix together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl
-mix in flavor's ingredients (sharp cheddar and chopped jalepenos is our favorite)
-mix in water (as hot as you can make it and still put your hand in it) until combined
-cover, and let rise in a warm place about 20 minutes
-cut into 12 pieces, form balls, punch a hole in the middle
-boil for 30 seconds on each side
-sprinkle extra cheese or topping of choice (poppyseeds, everything seasonings...) on top
-bake at 385' for 11 minutes on the bottom rack, then 11 minutes on the top rack

so stinkin delicious

I know stinkin isn't technically a word, but you know what I mean. I am always on the lookout for new recipes. Getting my Rachael Ray magazine in the mail is one of my favorite things. I always try to stretch out the time it takes me to read through it and make it last at least a few sittings. While I read I dog ear the corners so I know which recipes to go back and tear out (recipes with pictures are the best). Between blogland, foodgawker.com, and my magazine, eventually the "recipes to try" list substantially piles up. Well I finally got around to making one of them and it is oh so tasty. In fact, I made it just tonight. It's so good that while we were scarfing it, I told Jake "This might be one of my favorite meals ever". It's just that delicious. Never have I been drawn to chicken salad before this, but now it tops the list. A great summer meal, it is super healthy too; no mayo, and a great balance of protein, veggies, and optional starch. Without further ado, here's the recipe. Try it! You seriously won't regret it.

Chicken Salad with Yogurt-Ranch dressing:

• About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 clove garlic, gratedor finely chopped and pasted
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup reduced fat orfat-free plain Greek-style yogurt
• A small handful each of dill, parsley and chives, finely chopped
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded and meat shredded or 1 pound cold cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped
• 2 ribs celery from the heart, thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted

PREPARATION

In a large bowl, combine the EVOO, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the yogurt, herbs and hot sauce. Add the chicken, bell pepper, cucumber and celery; season with salt and pepper. Top the salad with the tomatoes and serve between two pieces of toasted sourdough bread.

a taste of parenthood

We were asked to watch my niece and nephew overnight while my brother and sister in law had a little getaway to Seattle. Since we love those little kiddos and can't get enough of them, we gladly obliged. Babysitting them here and there is something we've done quite a bit, but we caught a glimpse at the reality of parenthood when we had them overnight. It is a sweet thing, but very hard work! Our slumber party consisted of playing out in the garden, pizza/a movie/milkshakes in the evening, bath time, bedtime, an early morning, breakfast, playtime, a trip to the park, lunch, and more play time. It was busy, and messy, but great! Thanks for coming to spend the night with us little ones! We love you!

the gang's all here - easter edition

For easter this year, my brother talked my whole family into coming up to Yakima to celebrate. Since it was our year to celebrate with my side (we switch off between my family and my in laws every year), it was nice not to have to drive to Eugene to do so. Considering we invited Jake's family to join us as well, we had a packed house. My parents, little brother, sister, brother in law, niece and nephew, as well as Jake's parents, sister, and brother in law all made the trek up here. We spent some time at the park for a picnic, played some games (a must when hanging out with my family), ate some delicious food, had a couple of easter egg hunts, and most importantly celebrated our resurrected Savior. We are super blessed to have a family that loves each other and are actually friends. Thanks everyone for making the trip to be together for this joyful holiday!

homemade cinnamon rolls

my love

my dad sneaking in to drop off our easter basket in the morning (we got three easter baskets this year. I guess you're never too old.)

the dessert spread

the oldest kids checking out their goods

lounging on the lawn during the hunt

sweet miss madilyn

whose idea was it to get jack in the box tacos at 10 pm after playing mafia in the living room?

the crazy bunch

a little more normal

the infamous twins

I have some dear friends from college that came to visit last weekend. Mutually we've dubbed each other life long friends - just because they are that faithful of friends that we know our friendship will remain until our dying days. I often speak of them to my friends up here in Washington, always referring to "my friends the twins". They have names (Melinda and Christine), and generally they don't like being always lumped together as if they were one person. Liberty for me to call them that stems from the depth of our relationship. It was so fun to introduce them to our friends here, so that people could match a face with a name. We had a lovely time catching up, eating delicious food, shopping, and just hanging out. Here are a few snap shots from our time together...