While I Await the Arrival of a New Washing Machine

...here is our news:
- our 12-year old clothes-washing machine broke down (apparently, it lived longer than most)
- our yard has had its spring cleaning
- our house has had its spring cleaning
- Gregg and I washed the front windows
- the sun shone for several days before our weather reverted to "April Showers"
- we attended a fun benefit for the Seattle Children's Theater (my sister-in-law is on the board)
- we hosted a party in honor of 4 friends' birthdays (for 22 people), for which
     - I made 4 pans of lasagne
     - I baked two Chocolate Stout Cakes
- after the party, most of the crowd went to the bowling alley for Rock'N'Bowl (black lites and rock music while you bowl)
- after Rock'N'Bowl, some of the group went on to a karaoke bar (we went home to bed)

That lower-left photo is the bowling scorecard for some of the gang.
Don't you just love their names?

- my dad and I are working on marketing "Because of Katie," using custom-made postcards - dad is writing to newspapers and I am targeting nursing schools and teaching hospitals (there are 400+ in the US alone!)
- I am trying to stay OFF of facebook for a few weeks, and it is not easy. It is the preferred way for so many of my peeps to communicate (much more popular than phone or email), and I have been going through withdrawal. I am still on for messages and Guild business, so it's a little bit tricky.

I'm wearing this bracelet to help me remember to stay off of fb

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Blessed Easter Weekend

What a lovely weekend we had. It was fun, quiet, and family-centered.

The sun was out. We played tennis. We took walks - in the park and on the beach. We talked and heard more about David's classes, his upcoming trip to Florence, skiing, and college life. We skyped with my parents and talked to my brother and his family on the phone. We visited Gregg's parents.

I had quiet time to read the Easter Scriptures, since church is not high on the list of priorities for the guys.

On our beach walk on Easter Sunday, something big happened:  Gregg found his FIRST EVER Indian bead.

Close-up shot of Gregg's bead

This is a pretty big bead, in comparison with most of the ones we've found

I've written about these beads before. They are made of faceted glass, usually cobalt blue, and were traded by the Russians with the local Native Americans in exchange for fur pelts. We (my brother, sister and I) have been finding them since we were little children, but Gregg has never before found one...and on Easter Sunday, he did. Congratulations, Gregg!

We went out for dinner Saturday to The Loft in Poulsbo. They featured fresh halibut, with Dungeness Crab, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. Gregg ordered that, and I had a taste...ohhh, my.

For Easter dinner, we made some of David's favorite dishes. I prepared a potato dish which I found in Edible Seattle magazine. Does your city have an "Edible" magazine? Apparently, it's available in a variety of places. Last month's issue was being offered for free at the ferry terminal, so I picked up a copy, and found a number of interesting articles and recipes in it. I've been wanting to try the Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with chevre, kale and onions, so that's what I made, along with David's requested kalbi ribs and "Strawberry Pretzel Salad" (which is really a sort of cheesecake).

Being me, I didn't specify Yukon Gold potatoes, so Gregg picked out baby (red) new potatoes, which we both like. No big deal, I thought. It was such fun doing the prep-cooking! But I will say that the recipe turned out to be much less "gratin" than I expected. Was it the different kind of potato? I don't know. It needed more liquid, so I won't recommend the recipe as is; I would want to tweak it a bit by adding more milk.

(Elizabeth, that is the wreath you sent some time ago, now dried, hanging on the bulletin board)

Even so, we enjoyed our dinner tremendously. It would have been nice to invite others to join us, but it felt right to simply savor David's presence. I hope you had a blessed weekend, whether you celebrated Easter or not. It certainly brought joy to us, and I am thankful - both for the family pleasures, and the gift of faith - and life - from God and His Son.

Bon Appetit!

Gregg doesn't like to go out for dinner on Valentine's Day - he thinks it's too crowded, and I tend to agree with him. Because of this, we went out for dinner on Friday night. We split a bottle of wine, took our time, talked, toasted the publication of my book, and toasted our relationship.

Gregg at dinner on Friday night

When we go out on a date, before we take our first sip of whatever beverage we have, Gregg nearly always raises a glass, looks into my eyes, and says, "To us." It has happened so many times that it seems "normal"...but to me, it is a very special kind of blessing, or prayer, that he is saying. It never gets old.

Because Gregg didn't want to go out on Valentine's Day, and has been so busy at work (working through lunch and putting in overtime), I decided to make a new dish last night, so that we could eat at home and still feel the special quality of the day. I prepared it, put it in the oven, and we went out for a brisk walk in the fading light. The sky was blue, the clouds were tinged with pink from the setting sun, and the pink light was reflected on the surface of the water.

I am not a great cook, but I do like to create things. Improvisation in the kitchen is always risky, but it is also a necessity, for me, because I rarely find a recipe that includes just what I have in mind - or what I have in the larder. Improvising is great fun, but it can go awry - and it has in my kitchen, in the past. However, it went well yesterday.

I made seafood quiche in a puff-pastry crust. Gregg made a salad, and we each had a glass of wine with our dinner. We gave each other Valentine cards, and spent the evening together. It was lovely. No great expense, no flashy business, no huge expectations, no disappointments. Just two people who are still grateful and happy to have found one another in this big world, enjoying each other's company. It was just right for us.

I can't give you an exact recipe for the quiche, because I took three recipes and made it up from there, but if you like to improvise, here are the links which I consulted, before merging aspects of them together:
http://www.puffpastry.com/recipe/26109/rustic-spinach-pie
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/English-Quiche-Lorraine/Detail.aspx?prop31=2
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crab-Quiche-I/Detail.aspx?prop31=5

I had some fondue cheese, grated (emmenthal and gruyere) and a bit of cream cheese, so I used that. They added just the right flavor. Here is my best estimate of what I did:

Crab & Cod Quiche
One sheet of puff pastry dough, thawed
Four eggs
1 cup of shredded cheese
1/2 cup of cream cheese (approx.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. crushed garlic
Trader Joe's fresh mixed chopped veggies (or your own blend)
Fresh peas (out of the shell)
1 cup arugula
salt, pepper, paprika and dry mustard to taste
1/2 cup crab meat, cooked
1 cup cod, cooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lay the puff pastry dough in a lightly-greased pie pan.
Put 2 Tbsp. of butter in a saute pan and melt with garlic. When it bubbles, add the vegetables and saute for 3 minutes, until they are just softened. Add the arugula until wilted (another minute or two). Take off the burner and allow to cool.
Scramble the eggs in a medium-sized bowl; add the dry seasonings.
Add the shredded cheese and blend well. Add the cream cheese and blend.
Add the seafood.
Add the sauteed veggies. Blend gently and thoroughly together.
Pour the mixture into the puff pastry.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes (check to be sure crust does not burn).
Remove and let stand for 5 - 10 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this. We ate half of it last night! The puff pastry gives it a lighter finish than a pie crust would, and I appreciated that. If you are not a seafood-lover, you could subsititute your favorite meat or vegetables. As Julia would say, "Bon Appetit!"

Christmas 2011

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas holiday. We had the privilege of joining the Stoner-Ginder-Cunningham family for a party a couple of nights before Christmas in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. It was very beautiful, and great fun to be with our extended family. No photos, but happy memories.

On Christmas Eve, we spent a quiet night together at home - perfect.

Christmas day brought a windstorm which knocked our power out as I was cooking French toast for breakfast. Fortunately, we have a gas range, so the breakfast was fine, and the power was restored. Later, we had the pleasure of seeing Gregg's side of the family at his brother Charlie & sister-in-law Cheri's house on the other side of town. The dinner featured some of Ina Garten's delicious recipes, cooked to perfection. Gregg and I contributed a chopped salad and a side dish, along with some beverages. We've hosted Christmas dinner in our home for the past two years, and while I love hosting, it was nice to be a guest this year. Again, no photos, but good memories.

My brother Jim, sister-in-law Caroline and nephew Phil visited my parents to celebrate Christmas with them in the sunshine. Yesterday, Jim & Caroline hosted our side of the family (minus my parents) for a delicious dinner in Bellevue. Before we gathered for dinner, we braved the Bellevue Square Mall craziness, and Gregg was able to replace his broken headphones at the Bose store. David bought a shirt at Nordstrom, I got two small items at Sephora, and then we moved on to the Bravern so that David could get his "fix" of what's new at Nieman Marcus - only window shopping there!

Gregg and I brought another chopped salad to the dinner. It travels well, is healthy, tasty and colorful.

Gregg prepping the salad at home before heading to my brother's house for (belated) Christmas dinner

Nephew Phil prepping gin & tonic, and Caroline getting ready to make gravy

Jim, Deb (our sister), David, Phil's girlfriend Rachel & Gregg at "cocktail hour."
Jim is sporting a sling due to a tennis injury from their vacation in the desert.

Rachel, Phil & David (I love the cousin-togetherness!)

Caroline, Gregg & me after dinner

Gregg, Deb, Jim, Rachel, Phil, David & Caroline

After dinner, I noticed the fabulous bone left over from the leg of lamb. I asked if our hosts or my sister had a crockpot (slow-cooker). They do, but they work full-time and were not inclined to make anything with it; they were going to get rid of the bone and all of the delicious herbs! I asked if we could have them, and made a delicious vegetable-barley soup today with the leftover bone, herbs and meat. We had it for dinner with a salad, and if I do say so myself, it was awesome. I love making (and eating) soup on a cold, wet, gray winter day!

Latte & Liger relaxing at our house on Christmas Eve

Happy New Year to you and yours!

A Favorite Potato Recipe

When Allegra & Barry were here, I cooked from some of our favorite recipes. One reason was the desire to share our favorites, and another reason was the desire to cook something I know well (less opportunity for a disaster). They enjoyed our favorite roasted potatoes so much that Allegra asked for the recipe. That makes me so happy that I decided to share it here with all of you.

The funny thing about sharing this is that I realized, in typing it up, that I now always improvise on it. We use red potatoes (no peeling necessary), and prefer them to be crispy, so I bake them at 400 degrees. I also prefer to mix it in a bowl, but if you are prepping ahead for a big crowd, the ziploc bags will be helpful.

You will find the right proportions of seasonings and oil as you try it. Bon appetit!

Oven-Fried Potatoes

from the
"Best of the Best of Washington Cookbook,"
page 103 (Credited to “Taste of Balboa”)

12 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Place potatoes in 2 large resealable plastic bags. Combine parmesan cheese and seasonings; add to potatoes and shake to coat. Pour oil into 2 15x10x1-inch pans; pour potatoes into pans.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until tender.

While we were browsing in the used bookstore, Allegra found this gem, reprinted from the 1930s. I am devouring it. It's full of practical tips and true, every-day French recipes, but simplified into what is practically a manufacturing-process approach. The timing of the steps involved is so clear that you could make a four-course meal on your lunch hour, and still have time to eat it. Fascinating!

Chillin' with Chili and Camp Friends

On Friday, I hosted a little chili party here. It was great - one of those evenings when you smile so much that your face hurts.
The party started around 1:00 P.M. when Leslie came over on the ferry from Seattle. I met Leslie through Camp Goodtimes West. She has been a staff member there for a number of years, and we just "clicked." Leslie is one of the sweetest, kindest, most mature, compassionate, independent - and wickedly funny -  young women I know...and she's gorgeous, too!

Leslie, by Paul Dudley

Leslie and I had a few hours of "girl-talk time" before our other friends arrived for dinner. Heidi, Paul, Miles, Alex, Ann Marie and Chad all came bearing beverages, desserts, salad and great good humor. It felt wonderful to have them all here together. They have been friends and colleagues for many years.

Mooselips & Pineapple (Camp names)

Mooselips & Chad, a.k.a. "Putt-Putt"

Ann Marie, a.k.a. "Watermelon" has known Paul & Heidi since she was a young girl.

Heidi a.k.a. Mrs. Mooselips, Poodle-lips & Watermelon

This is one of my favorite photos of Paul. It was just chili, I promise!

I'll even share the recipe with you. This recipe is the only thing I kept from my first marriage (my ex was kind enough to share it with me after we split). It's my favorite chili - more meat than beans, with a velvety sauce. I took liberties and improvised widely with it on Friday, which I'll describe to you here. But first, the basic recipe:

TL's Chili (now that I think about it, this was LC's Dad's Chili, originally)

3 lbs. sirloin (or stew meat)

2 TBSP. oil

2 - 3 cloves garlic

4 - 6 TBSP. Chili powder

2 tsp. Cumin

3 TBSP. flour

1 TBSP. oregano

2 cans beef broth (13+ ounces each)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can pinto beans (15 oz.)

"Brown the meat first and combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook at least 3 - 4 hours, until the meat is very tender. Add the beans about 1 hour before cooking is complete. Enjoy!"*

Reading through this, I realized that I always improvise on the recipe. So here's how I do it:

- Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes. Brown it in the oil. Put the meat, spices and beans together in the crockpot.

- I always use at least 4 cans of beans, and I like variety - red beans, kidney, black beans, etc.

- I use "Better Than Bouillion," a hearty paste (available at Costco) to which you add water, rather than canned soup.

- I used fresh oregano this time - about 3 TBSP. of it.

- I don't like cumin, so I use half of the amount in the recipe.

- I omitted the salt and pepper - unnecessary, with the salt in the canned beans.

- I added cinnamon and allspice (can't recall how much).

- This time, I put in about half a bar (2 oz. or so) of dark chocolate. I used "Lindt Excellence Chili Dark" and "Ghirardelli Premium 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Chocolate." Oh my goodness, it made all the difference to this recipe - it gave the chili a rich, velvety-smooth quality, without sweetness. Reminded me of a mole sauce.

* It's more delicious if you serve condiments with this chili: lime wedges, shredded cheese and plain yogurt (or sour cream).

You could combine different types of chili powders. I'd want to learn more about their qualities before I did that, but it's an intriguing idea.

I made cornbread (Bob's Red Mill) and honey-butter to go with the chili. Heidi made a wonderful bibb lettuce salad and TWO desserts: pear tart with pear-brandy whipping cream and a molten chocolate cake - both utterly delicious.

I would not have known about Camp Goodtimes West (and therefore, would not know Chad, AMO or Leslie) if it were not for Paul, who has volunteered at camp for the past 25+ years. He persuaded us to send David and Katie in the summer of 2007, just before she relapsed, and they had a great time. Because they attended camp (it's free of charge for the patient and a sibling, by the way), we now have these wonderful, precious young people in our lives. There are many more staff from camp who are dear to my heart, and we'll have to do this again, and include as many of them as possible. They are a rowdy, freewheeling, compassionate bunch, and I treasure them.

I'm grateful to God for Camp Goodtimes West, and for good times with good friends!

In Case You Weren't With Us...

...here is the video from the Ben Towne Foundation BENefit last month:


benefit 2011 highlight video from ben towne foundation on Vimeo.

...featuring Carin & Jeff Towne, and Dr. Julie Park, who was Katie's - and Ben's - oncologist.
Here is a photo of Gregg and me with my mom & dad at the BENefit:

 

(There were lots of other nice people there, but I don't have permission to post their photos here.)

I've been working on my book today, and made a pork roast with carmelized onions (cut along the grain the way you told us, Allegra) and apples, Calvados and apple cider. It was delicious, if I do say so.

This, That & An Anniversary

We had a great weekend here. I hope you had a great one, too.

Before the weekend, on Thursday, David and I took a beautiful walk on our beach - for a couple of miles each way. It was a gorgeous, sunny & warm day. For you mid-western & easterners, that is obvious, but for us here in western Washington, I have news: summer has been one fickle guest. So it was a big deal to have sunshine on one of David's days off. It was lovely to spend that time together.

David also accompanied me to go shopping for a new phone. He knows more about technology than I do, as he's 18. Those of you who have mobile phone plans will understand this story: I was due for a FREE new phone. Awesome. I've always taken the offer of a FREE new phone to heart (and wallet). But this time, there was a decision to be made: dumb phone or smart phone? - because now, we have a choice. The difficulty is that dumb = free, while smart = I pay for the phone itself, and for extra service, each month. Frankly, that doesn't sound smart at all, to me. Yet I did the dumb thing, and got the smart phone...a phone which is a whole lot smarter than I am, at this point. I'm still learning how it works.

On Saturday, we hosted a party. I don't like to talk about parties because I think it is bad manners, when obviously all of you (especially out-of-towners) can't join us, but party is what we did, so it shows up here on the blog. We combined neighborhood friends with old friends, friends from different circles and parts of our lives, and it was great fun. I love to host gatherings, especially with 20+ people, especially in sunny weather.

The photos that I took turned out to be awful, but Paul Dudley of Paul Dudley Photography took these, and as usual, he worked magic with the camera:

Miss Ellie (my mom) & me

Me & my dad

Because I have a horror of running out of food, the new ways of society (let's call it the looseness about RSVP's) make me a little nervous when hosting 30-some people. My way of coping is to buy too much food, and host potlucks. People brought salad or dessert & wine; we provided everything else (& some wine). Right now, I am making split pea soup with the leftover bones and meat from two of the three hams. My in-laws are coming over to eat dinner with us and share the bounty.

While I was chopping, sauteing, juicing and stirring, my heart was with our friend Allegra, who is a chef de cuisine and who once owned a restaurant on the Oregon coast. How I wished she was standing beside me, sharing the wisdom of her experience! Allegra is recovering from chemo right now, and I am sending her love and healing energy. You are invited to join me in that.

I have to say that I am a bit stymied right now as a blogger, because one of the richest veins in the Mother Lode of my writer's brain is filled with parenting stories, and I cannot share them with you. I respect my son's privacy, but I tell you, my mind is overflowing with things that have happened here. I am sure they are normal in the larger picture of life, but I would say it's been colorful.

Four years ago today, Andrea & Mike got married and granted Katie's great wish to be a bridesmaid. It was a huge gift for them to move their wedding up 6 months in order that Katie could be part of the day. A week later, she was paralysed from the waist down (and could no longer walk); a week after that, she passed away. So you can see how important their invitation - and the timing -was.

Happy Anniversary, Andrea and Mike! - you have our love and gratitude FOREVER.

This Guy...

...is coming home today for Easter weekend!

I can hardly wait to see him.

We have ribs marinating in teriyaki & garlic for a BBQ dinner tonight,

and prime rib roast (for company) tomorrow night.

Will be busy cleaning house and baking today.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Happy Birthday and Julie & Julia

We had my in-laws over for dinner on Saturday night. My mother-in-law just turned 89 (father-in-law achieved this milestone last August, when we were in Canada). Happily, my sister-in-law Linda (treasurer of Katie's Comforters Guild) and her husband Bill joined us, so we had a nice little party of six.

The night before this, on Friday, I went to a "Julie & Julia" dinner party - a tribute to Julia Child and her impact in bringing French cuisine to America - ladies only. You may recall that I hosted last year's event; this year, it was at the home of our friend, Julie.

Heidi & Julie

I have to say, there is nothing like a wonderful group of women, gathered together in the spirit of fun, fellowship and food.

 

When I saw the beautiful table that Julie had set for us, I thought, "Only a group of women would do this for each other." I just don't see guys appreciating all of this.



Men out there - am I wrong? Please tell me if I am, and I will retract that!

Our hostess, Julie, with Cami, Suzanne, Heidi, Denise, Kay, Pam, Heather & me

I made Brie en Croute, accompanied by pears, apples and crackers (both sweet and savory). We also had onion & anchovy tarts, cheese tarts, onion soup, salade Nicoise, beef tenderloin with mushrooms, roasted acorn squash, sorbet bombe and chocolate tart - and lots and lots of wine: champagne, sparkling, white, blush, red & dessert. There was MUCH laughter and loud talking. It got progressively louder and more raucous as the evening and festivities went on. 

Unflattering, but the camera doesn't lie...

 We planned ahead and had designated drivers; everyone got home safely.

Thank you, Julie (& Julia, for inspiring us)!

Photos courtesy of Julie

The Recipe: Mrs. Sigurdson's Buttermilk Pancakes

Since you've asked, Erin, here it is:

Mrs. Sigurdson's Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. Canola oil
1 quart buttermilk
2 eggs

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat until light, firm peaks form. Set aside.

Combine all dry ingredients (sift, if you prefer). Add the buttermilk, oil and egg yolks, and blend until smooth. Gently fold in egg whites.

Prepare a griddle or pan, preferably cast iron, with butter: drop a pat of butter and bring it to a gentle sizzle. Take a folded paper towel and thoroughly spread this butter all over the cooking surface. Pour in enough batter for one pancake. Watch for bubbles on top of pancake to gently rise to the surface and pop. Flip it over. Cook until it is between golden brown and black (according to your preference).
Repeat.
Serve with butter and REAL maple syrup. It's worth it!

 Pancakes will give you energy for the rest of your day:

having coffee

picking berries

fishing

gardening

sweeping

digging clams

climbing trees

walking the beach

reading

sunbathing,

or whatever your day holds.