Day by Day.....with the McCavours

Fast, Simple and Thrifty Leg Warmers for Kids

2012-02-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

There are so many fun, bright and colorful knee high socks available to buy at places like Target, for around $2.50 a pair. Although I personally wouldn't wear them for myself, they make great leg warmers for children with just a couple of easy alterations. Double up for more of a color splash and pattern statement, wear over leggings or with skirts and dresses. Here is a simple tutorial on what to do:

$2.50/ pair socks, from hosiery section of Target.

If you want to be accurate, measure off the length of sock you want for the warmers, or be like me and follow the stripe. Cut off the foot.

Turn inside out, pin up 1/2 inch and sew a seam, stretching the fabric as you go. I also did a zig zag stitch on the foot portion of the sock to have some fun footies.

Turn right side out and there you go, leg warmers!

My daughter modeling the two pairs together.

We ended up doing a mini session with these fun warmers.

She just loves to ham it up for the camera.

For children photographers, for this price, you could make a bunch in various colors and patterns to add a little whimsy to your prop selection. Have fun with it!

Seaside

2012-02-09T00:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our family was able to relax in Seaside and enjoy some very spring-like weather. Two of us were down with colds, so the goal was to just rest and relax! Plus, we had lots of ice cream :-)

Below are my favorite snapshots:

Sunset view from our balcony (looking west)

Downtown Seaside from our balcony (looking east)

Looking north

Serenity

Goofing off with the camera (which is unusual for me to be in front of)

Bare feet in sand!

I always love getting shots of the kids running on the beach. Someday I'll have to make a collage of all our beach trips.

Sunshine Girl took this of Nix Nux Nellie.

Got to get that carousel ride in!

Check out the teeth!

Love this peaceful expression

My girls are getting so big!

Sunshine Girl took this too! Love it!

At last, the hubby!

Sunshine Gal took this with my micro lens (waiting for lunch at Subway)

The hubby took this on a walk one evening.

The resort. Nice reflection of the warm light of sunset.

It was a perfect weekend away and we felt rejuvenated after two days of taking in the fresh ocean air. We are so thankful to be so close to great beaches!

Oh Canada! Maple Leaf Cupcakes

2012-01-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Canadian blood in our family, we decided to show some patriotic spirit in an unusual way: cupcakes.

The cupcakes are a vanilla maple with a maple buttercream frosting with a surprise in the middle, a red maple leaf. This recipe requires a bit of time (and patience) as there are several steps involved and two baking times. For those who want a different design in the middle, say a heart (Valentine's Day is around the corner), just use a different mini cookie cutter. If you are not a big fan of maple, omit it and double the vanilla.

Have fun with this and nibble along the way!

Bon appétit!

Directions:

Using your mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and maple extracts.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk until thoroughly combined.

Remove a generous 1/3 of the batter to a separate bowl. Add the red food coloring (or desired color) and mix until you get your desired hue and saturation. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 8 x 8 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges of cake are turning golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. While waiting, paint your nails, check your Facebook, or clean out that neglected cabinet above the fridge.

Allow to cool completely. Once it is cool, loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a cutting board. Use a small maple leaf cookie cutter (or shape of choice) and cut out 12 leaves and any extra you may want for garnishing. Use a cutter that will allow the leaves to fit into an average-sized baking pan. Eat the left over scraps......

Spoon two generous tablespoons of batter into greased paper-lined cupcake tins. Put one leaf, stem end down, into each tin and press down into the batter. Make sure to orient the leaves in the same direction in the pan. Cover the leaf with another generous tablespoon of batter and place back in oven for another 24 minutes. Keeping the cupcakes facing forward, remove to a wire rack to cool.

When you decorate the cupcakes, keep in mind you want to be able to mark what is the front, so when you cut or bite into the cake, you see the leaf pattern, rather than a rectangle shape (side view of leaf). I decorated some with a maple leaf on top with the stem facing the front. On others with sprinkles, I orientated the hearts in one direction with the point facing the front.

To make the buttercream frosting, beat the butter until smooth, then add the vanilla and maple extracts. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the milk and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy. If needed, add more sugar or milk. If no one is watching, lick the beaters clean.... and the bowl too :-)

My daughters helped out with the decorating. The bottom cupcake is a mystery as to which way the leaf is hidden.

Packaged up for delivery to a very special Canadian from Ontario whom my daughter (and I) look up to very much :-)

Hope they survive the trip on the school bus!

The surprise inside! The stem broke off on this one when it was pushed in. Just seeing this makes me want to belt out "Oh Canada" :-) The maple goodness of each bite takes me down memory lane to the first time I tasted maple syrup candy on a stick. Yum!

Here are the details of the recipe:

Cupcake:

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cup (260 grams) granulated white sugar

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon maple extract

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or light cream

Frosting:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Happy Holidays 2011!

2011-12-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

It seems like the autumn flew by and here it is already December! The brisk mornings with frost covered ground remind me that winter is almost here and with it the holiday season.

Last Saturday we took advantage of the dry day to get updated with our family pictures. We didn't have someone along with us to take the photos, so we set up my tripod with the remote and hoped for the best. Since we were heading up the mountain to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Burro Loco, in Welches, we looked for a spot to do our portraits towards Sandy. By chance, we found a dead end country road with pastures and fencing that we thought would be perfect.

Nix Nux Nellie was up first:

Then Sunshine Girl:

Followed by mom and her girls:

Of course, we couldn't leave out dad and his girls!

Alyssa took the following picture of le monsieur avec moi.

Finally, the family:

A little Christmas tree bokeh:

Our latest holiday decorations, a barn and tractor.

Girls, you did a beautiful job decorating the tree!

The McCavour family sends out season's greetings to each of you!

Happy Holidays!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD. Luke 2:11

Horsin' Around

2011-10-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Both Sunshine Girl and Nix Nux Nelli have a tremendous enthusiasm for all things related to horses. It is their dream to have horses of their own one day and if Nix Nux Nelli had her way, there would also be ducks, chickens, goats, cats, dogs and rabbits, to name a few. Sunshine Girl has the ability to connect with animals in an emotional way and they seem to respond with their trust. Nix Nux Nelli is the one who wants to play, tease and bother them to no end. She also say's she is going to be a cowgirl one day and learn to rope and ride, but also to be a vet, just for horses!

So to truly see if my girls would like to follow those dreams, we thought we should give them some close horse exposure. After much prayer about riding lessons and a clear answer being given, we found a little spot called Sunshine Valley Stables that is about 10 minutes away. The lessons are not just for riding, but for all that is involved with caring for a horse. Grooming, feeding, watering, cleaning stalls and cleaning hooves. We'll see if the horse fever continues when they see that it isn't all glamorous.

This is Ghost. He patiently endured my girls brushing him before and after saddling.

Nix Nux volunteered to go first. The trainer started by leading the horse around the arena to let Nix Nux Nelli get a feel for the movements.

Once Nix Nux Nelli was ready, the trainer stood in the middle and had N.N. Nelli guide the horse with the reigns into the circle and farther out of it.

N.N. Nelli had to find her voice when she wanted the horse to stop. Her "ho" came out pretty timid and weak in the beginning, but was starting to show more confidence after a few tries.

Sunshine Girl was up next, and Ghost, having already done an hours lesson was not going to be quite as agreeable with this one. Every time he circled around to the gate by his stable he stopped, wanting to be done and get his treat.

Another horse watching the lesson.

Sunshine Girl really caught on quick with all the commands and was able to ride on her own by the end of the hour. She even had her horse back up! Yay!

The girls had a super time and are so happy that their next lesson is tomorrow morning!

How about a hot Chili Nacho Supper to warm you up?

2011-10-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

For a quick dinner that everyone likes and even feeds a crowd, this is the old standby. With the cooler and wetter days of autumn setting in, my tendency is to cook the warm comfort foods of soups, chili and stews. This recipe is for Chili Nacho Supper and is meant to be served over Fritos. I've cooked it ahead of time and reheated it in a crock pot for gatherings where it was also served over baked potatoes and hot dogs. For a picnic, I had individual Fritos bags with a couple spoonfuls of chili over the chips, topped with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa for a personalized taco salad. This is very versatile and you can come up with a number of ways to serve it.

The ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used turkey)

3 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce

2 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

2 envelopes chili mix

2 pounds process American cheese, cubed

1 cup whipping cream

2 packages (16 ounces each) corn chips

sour cream

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef (or turkey) until no longer pink; drain.

Rinse and drain the beans.

Add tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes and chili mix to meat mixture, heat through.

Add cheese and cream.

Cook until the cheese is melted.

Serve over chips. Top with sour cream, if desired.

Yield 14- 16 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Quick Cooking May/June 1999

Caramel Apples

2011-10-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the arrival of autumn the girls and I decided to try our hand at making caramel apples on a stick. Usually these treats are reserved for the specials days we head to the pumpkin patch and tackle a corn maze, but this year we wanted to make sure we had enough to go around.

Heading out this morning to pick up groceries before the expected afternoon downpour of rain arrived, I looked at three places for the popsicle sticks needed for this recipe. The only ones I could find were colored, so I hope there is nothing toxic in the paint used to color the sticks. By the way, I didn't think of this until too late, check the apples you buy to see if they will sit flat, otherwise you'll have some interesting results.

Ingredients:

8 - 10 medium tart apples ( I purchased golden delicious and granny smith)

1 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Also needed: 8 - 10 wooden sticks.

Step one: Remove the stickers and wash the apples.

Step two: Fill a bowl with HOT water.

Three: Dunk each apple for about 30 seconds to remove the corn wax so the caramel adheres better.

Here are the caramel ingredients, all ready to go.

Place all the ingredients (except the vanilla and apples) in a heavy 3 quart saucepan.

Stir to combine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat.

Cook and stir until the mixture reaches 248 degrees, which is firm-ball stage in candy-making talk, using a candy thermometer. Once the mixture reaches the desired temperature, remove it from heat and stir in vanilla. Sorry for the blurry picture, apparently I cannot stir and take a picture at the same time.

If desired, have toppings ready to go. I used chopped peanuts, but other options are: crushed candy bars, crushed cookies, sprinkles, marshmallows..... or all of the above. Get creative!

Insert the wooden sticks through the stem side of apple about halfway through.

Dip the apple in the hot caramel mixture, turn to coat and use a spoon to cover the spots on top.

Let the excess caramel drip off....

.....roll in desired topping of choice.....

....and set on waxed paper to cool.

Once cool, you can really go to town and drizzle on melted chocolate and/or white chocolate and sprinkle with more toppings.

If there is any caramel mixture left in the pan, remove it while it is still soft, otherwise you will spend your evening scrubbing it out. The left over candy is delicious and can be rolled into caramel candy balls.

Be sure you don't have any loose teeth, crowns or fillings before enjoying this :-)

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

Family

2011-10-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

In August, we were able to spend a few days at my parent's house in Moses Lake and took the opportunity to update our family pictures. These days it is hard to get all our families together and thankfully one evening worked out that we were all together and well.

Papa and Nana with their four granddaughters.

The Mittelstadt/McCavour families.

Moses Lake isn't that far to go, but now with the school year tying up our time and also bringing its share of illnesses, the trips up that way will be infrequent until Spring/Summer. These dear ones are daily in our thoughts and prayers and with the telephone and Skype, the time apart doesn't seem so long.

A Taste of Autumn: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

2011-09-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin spiced cakes, breads, scones, muffins and coffee are an extreme weakness of mine as soon as the weather starts feeling more crisp and cool, and this almost guiltless treat is quick and easy to make. The cupcake itself is the more guilt free part, scoring only about 160 calories, 11 calories from fat per cupcake, if you make 36 servings. The frosting is wickedly rich and delicious, but comes in high in calories even with the Neufchatel Cheese, which has 1/3 less fat than cream cheese. The frosting nutritional count is 181 calories per cupcake, 65 of which are from fat. The cupcakes are delicious iced or not, so if you are watching your calorie/fat intake, go for it!

For the cupcake portion of the recipe, you need just two ingredients: two boxes of 1 lb 2.25 oz Betty Crocker Super Moist Spice Cake Mix, and a 29 oz can of Libby's pure pumpkin. (I wasn't able to get the 15 oz can of pumpkin from my grocery store, so I doubled up on the mix.)

That's it, it doesn't get much easier than that! Simply mix the two ingredients together until completely mixed, then scoop into greased cupcake paper liners until about two-thirds full. ( I used an ice cream scoop to keep the sizes uniform). Bake according to the directions on the box, about 18-23 minutes at 350 degrees. Test with a toothpick to see if done. Let sit for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you want to indulge even more and top these little puppies with creamy decadence, continue on with the frosting recipe.

Using two sticks of softened butter and 2 - 8 ounce packages of softened Neufchatel cheese, cream together for three minutes on medium until very smooth. Then add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix. Next, add 4 to 6 cups ( I did 4) of powdered sugar very slowly until well blended and at your desired thickness. Using either a spatula or a piping tip and bag, slather on generous portions of frosting and top with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!!

By the way, you may have about a cup of frosting left over, so be prepared to enjoy it with fruit, graham crackers or any other way you may like. Now I am going to pack these treats up for the neighbors and Sunday potluck so that I don't have to be tempted to eat more than one.

Father's Day Celebratory Weekend

2011-06-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of Father's Day, we escaped (a week early) to the coast for the weekend. The beach is one of Harry's favorite spots, especially Long Beach, with the wood boardwalk, beautiful sandy beach and Castaway's with their excellent clam chowder.

Saturday was a gorgeous mild day with little wind, perfect for exploring all the sandy paths through the beach grass. Here are some snapshots of our day:

Long Beach is the perfect family destination. Great beaches for playing on, good restaurants and amazing bakery, plus enough entertainment to keep everyone happy. Lauren even managed to get a pony ride at a corral near our hotel. It was a memorable weekend and a great way to celebrate a fantastic dad.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday Lauren!

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

2011-04-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

After a week of colds, we felt well enough to get out a little bit on Saturday and head south towards Woodburn to see the annual Woodburn Tulip Festival. This farm was covered in gorgeous tulips in full bloom as well as lots of mud! We were prepared with rain boots, so we could splash through puddles and slurp through mud all we wanted. The girls complained a lot of the smell, not the beautiful flowery smell, but the manure smell. Lots of it. That's life on the farm. Only here, there were no animals, just their by-product. Okay, enough of that.

It was Canon appreciation day so every Tom, Dick and Harry were out with their fancy lenses and not so fancy point and shoots competing for the best shot and eyeing each others gear. Hey, I do that too! :-)

This farm has a catalog online and a Facebook page with information for ordering bulbs to plant this fall. If you visit and pre-order at the farm during the festival, you get a discount!

My beautiful flowers!

Amazing colors!

This windmill is the tulip farm's signature piece (other than the flowers, of course!)

Yes, it was very muddy! This is just before we discovered Lauren's boot was coming apart at the seam.

The farm had a children's play area and Lauren just had to ride a pony! The kids also went in an inflatable jump house/slide, rode swings, had rubber duck races with old fashioned pumps and rode the animal train. We enjoyed watching a few men hand carving wood shoes from a tree trunk, canes and tobacco pipes.

The rain held off just until we rode the hayride back to the parking lot after getting a good three hours of touring the farm.

We highly recommend a visit to this farm for a family outing with fun things for everyone to see and do!

Spring Break

2011-04-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

The family enjoyed spending their spring break vacation in Northern Idaho this year, making day trips into Spokane, Kellogg and Coeur d'Alene. On our way home we were able swing by Moses Lake, Washington and have a of couple days with my folks. Here are a few snapshots from our week.

Harry helping my dad hang flower boxes on his house.

Alyssa let me play around with her hair this day and we braided a crown for her :-)

Lauren's black eye is starting to look better after a collision with a door frame a week prior.

Spokane's famous Radio Flyer wagon slide.

Riverfront Park

Gigi with her great grand daughters.

Arrowpoint Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Old Mission, oldest standing building in Idaho.

Vintage pinball machines at a soda fountain we stopped at for lunch in Wallace, Id.

We fell in love with beautiful northern Idaho and look forward to visiting again in warmer months when we can really get into the many great outdoor recreational opportunities that are found here.

Gooey Deliciousness!

2011-03-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

This last week I had a call that a book I had on hold at the local library came in......... The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond. Now this is not your ordinary cookbook. This book comes to life with Dee's humor, anecdotes, stories, pictures AND delicious recipes. Dee also has an amazing blog that you could get lost in spending countless hours drooling over recipes, admiring her photography and photoshop skills and getting homeschooling ideas. This is a cookbook you can actually sit down and read, line for line, and learn a little and laugh a lot.

In the few days I have had this cookbook, I have tried three recipes, all of which were outstanding and definite keepers. Today, instead of attending my laundry which is overflowing the baskets, I made PW's cinnamon rolls. This was the easiest dough I have ever worked with for this kind of recipe, plus it rose really quickly. Spicy smells filled my house as the treats baked in the oven, bringing kids and hubby into the kitchen for samples. The frosting is delectable with maple flavoring and a hint of coffee. Beware though, this recipe makes 50 - 60 rolls!! Freeze for later and/or prepare platters for giving out. Ree's cookbook has suggestions for freezing, whether unbaked or baked and frosted.

Fresh from the oven, plump pillows of sweetness.

Maple frosting ready to be drizzled on.

Mmmmmmm!

For those who think you can never have enough cookbooks, check out the link at the top of the page for Amazon, their price is the best I've seen. After just three recipes that were supreme successes, I highly recommend this book for making the comfort foods that your whole family will love. The other two recipes that were a hit I was unable to find on her blog, but they were Crispy Potato Skins and Perfect Chili. Next up to try: Chicken Spaghetti!

If anyone reads this and wanders onto PW's blog, I would love to hear what you think and any recipes you tried. You won't be disappointed!

Winner--Coffee Cuffs!!!!

2011-02-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

And the winner is............

Debbie!!!

Look on the coffee cuff post to decide which two you want, send me an email at gar@frontier.com with a description and your address for shipping. Also, let me know if you want buttons on them. I'll get them out within a week of receiving your email. Congratulations!! Enjoy them!

Oh, by the way, the cuffs with the coffee name print ended up with the print upside down when on the cup. My fault for cutting them out upside down! Still cute and you can read it when taking a sip! Haha!

A Sweet Valentine Weekend

2011-02-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

After close monitoring of beach availability on Worldmark, we were able to reserve a last minute get-away to Seaside, Oregon, over the weekend before Valentines day. It was especially sweet as we also celebrated my birthday on the beach. We reserved a room at 3:00 on Friday, quickly packed a few things and were on the road by 4:20. Since we didn't have anything planned for meals, a stop at the Costco in Warrenton loaded us up with chicken alfredo and ceasar salad as well as a large, luscious chocolate cake for my birthday treat. Saturday was incredibly windy and wet, so we were happy to stay inside for most of the day, but not until after a dip in the pool. The kids enjoyed swimming despite lawn chairs, towels and sandals sliding around and the wind whistling over wet heads. We did get out briefly to go enjoy a hot bowl of clam chowder at Mo's in Cannon Beach.

Sunday was beautiful, with bits of sun coming out between the clouds, calm breeze and mild temperatures. So, we hit the beach before heading home.

The kids were entertained with all the little paths winding around the seagrass.

Cookin' something up. Lauren had to finish her recipe before we could leave.

On the way home, we stopped at the Astoria Column which Harry and the girls had never been up. We climbed 164 steps up 125 feet to the top to see the panoramic view of the Columbia River, ocean and town of Astoria. Visitors purchased little wood airplanes which they threw off the top. The girls were given a couple which they had fun flying over a large grass hillside.

The beach is great anytime of year and in any (mostly) weather. We always leave more relaxed and refreshed than when we arrived. Looking forward to the next time!

Coffee Cuffs

2011-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my first craft project for the blog. Be sure to read through, as there is a GIVE-AWAY at the end of this posting!

This very simple project is for a reusable, washable coffee sleeve to add style to your paper coffee cup. These "coffee cuffs" are great to make from scrap fabrics or from the fat quarters available at most fabric stores. One fat quarter will make two cuffs with enough left over for one side of a another cuff.

Supplies needed:

fabric

all purpose thread, in colors to match fabric

stiff fabric stabilizer (the white stuff in this picture), usually by the fusing and interfacing

cardboard coffee sleeve (save one when you are out for coffee next time)

card stock to create pattern

sharpie or pen to trace pattern

sewing machine

Extra's: a mug of coffee nearby and some good music!

I purchased the supplies above at Joanne's Fabrics as they have coupons for half off one item in the paper every week. Not that half off on one of these items is much, but it all helps.

Prewash the fabric on cold with a little detergent. I usually do this on the quick cycle.

While your fabric is being washed, you can create your cuff pattern. Unfold the coffee sleeve and lay out on your card stock. I taped two pieces of card stock together to have a large enough piece. I roughly traced 1/2 inch out from the cardboard with a sharpie. I extended the sides as well and brought the corners to a nice point.

Cut out the card stock on the lines you drew. Measurements for my pattern are in the picture below.

After the fabric has been dried in the clothes dryer, press with an iron.

Trace around your pattern on the fabric stabilizer. I repeated this over the entire yard of stabilizer I had. The stabilizer will give stiffness and insulation to the coffee cuff. Cut out the pieces when done tracing.

Repeat the tracing with your fabric pieces. I traced with the right side up of pattern, then flipped it over to trace the other piece. This way when the two pieces are put right sides together, they will be the same.

This is how your layers should look before sewing. The two pieces of fabric, right sides together, then the stabilizer on the outside. This is important so that when it is turned right side out, the stabilizer will end up in the middle. I should know as I goofed on this at first and if you look closely above, you will see some threads left on the fabric from ripping out the seam.

On one end, place two pins about 2 inches apart. You will start sewing from the bottom pin around the cuff until you reach the top pin, leaving the area in between open. Sew about a quarter of an inch from the edge.

Make sure you backstitch your ends so they don't unravel.

When done with the seam, trim the corners to a nice point, close to the seam, so that they lay better when turned right side out.

Turn right side out. Use a blunt long object to help push the corners out all the way. I very carefully used my scissors so that I wouldn't poke through.

Press flat after turned right side out.

Tuck the open end under and press flat.

With a hidden stitch, close the opening. If you would rather, machine stitch near to the edge to close. I ended up hand stitching one and using the machine for the others. When the cuff is sewn into a circle, you can hide that end on the inside.

The cuff has a finished look to it if you sew a seam about a quarter of an inch from the edge. Do one continues seam around the entire cuff.

To size it, I wrapped the cuff around a standard 16 ounce coffee cup and pinned the layers together. Slip off the cuff and hand stitch with a slip stitch the two ends to the layer underneath. Start with the outside end, then invert and sew the other end. If you create a cuff with two different fabrics, finished this way it will be reversible!

The finished products!! Now I just need to make a pot of coffee!! Keep one in your car or purse when you buy coffee on the fly. Add your own personal style to that coffee chain cup!

For a more whimsical look, add buttons or other embellishments to your cuff.

The above and below pictures are cuffs that are waiting to be finished with hand sewing.

I love how you can get "coffee" fabrics!

The above fabrics are cut and waiting to be sewn.

So, there you have it! Step by step instructions on making your own coffee cuff. The good news for those that don't sew, I am having a give-away!!! One reader who leaves a comment in the comment form below will win two of these cuffs handcrafted by me! Readers have one week to leave a comment and I will use random.org to select a winner and will announce the winner on Friday the 18th. Readers may only enter once. The winner will be able to choose among the above cuffs and choose if they want it embellished with buttons. The cuffs will be mailed USPS within a week of the drawing. Good luck and thanks for reading!

Super Easy Meatballs

2011-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

This recipe is super fast, easy and really good. Perfect for potlucks, parties, super bowl get togethers or a simple dinner. All you need is three ingredients and a crock pot. First, you need to have pre-made frozen meatballs. We like the Kirkland Italian style meatballs from Costco (you get about 100 meatballs per bag!). Second, you need a 12 ounce jar of chili sauce. Third, 1/4 cup of jelly, grape or apricot.

Typically I use grape jelly, but I didn't have any on hand this morning, so opted for the apricot preserves.

The apricot or grape gives a little sweetness to the recipe.

If using the Kirkland meatballs, pour half of the bag into your crock pot.

Mix the chili sauce and jelly together in a small bowl until well combined.

Pour the sauce/jelly mixture over the meatballs.

Stir until the meatballs are evenly coated.

Place the lid on the crock pot.

Turn on the crock pot and set on high.

The meatballs from Costco are already fully cooked, they just need heating. I like to start by heating on high for a couple hours and then turning the temperature down to low for the final two hours. Serve individually with toothpicks in them for an appetizer or with a spoon for larger helpings.

There you go! A quick dish to prepare and and a sure deal to come home with an empty dish!

Buon appetito!

A brief reprieve

2011-01-28T20:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! I am sadly behind on posting. It seems like the last three months have flown by!

We spent Thanksgiving holidays with our family to the north in South Prairie, Washington. The girls were able to enjoy playing in the snow the area had received. Lauren thought it was pretty funny throwing snowballs at her big cousins and uncle. While Alyssa and her aunt made a snowman complete with a carrot nose, hat and scarf.

The Christmas holidays were spent with my folks in the Moses Lake, Washington area. It was such fun to stay in their new house, now complete with furniture. This area had received several inches of snow as well, so another snowman was built, this time decked out with a black top hat, red scarf and blue mittens. Harry was able to do a little snow shoeing and cross country skiing around the neighborhood. Moses Lake has a municipal ice skating rink, official NHL sized, that we were able to make it to a few times.

Over the holiday weekend in January, we were able to get away briefly to Eagle Crest in Redmond, Oregon. Although it rained most of the weekend, we were able to play some pickleball and basketball in the gym as well as swim. It was really nice to relax in our little cabin and spent quiet time reading, coloring and playing board games.

Chalet on Cinnamon Teal Drive

Private hot tub on deck

Prune toes!

My little cowgirl

We drove by Crystal Peaks Horse Ranch hoping it would be open, but their hours are limited during the winter months. Lauren and Alyssa would really like to go riding at the ranch sometime. Having heard many of the personal stories behind the horses rescues, the girls have a tender spot for these equine friends.

Well, here it is almost February. We look forward to a visit from Grandma A in a few weeks and then celebrating my birthday by spending some time together on Mt. Hood. Hopefully there will still be some snow to play in! With this mild January and recent 60 degree days, it feels like spring has arrived.

Thanks for dropping by and catching up with our little family!

My girls(and a cat), autumn 2010

2010-11-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from our quick run up Mt. Hood to play in the snow. I love this little town, especially in the winter when everything is snow covered with soft lights glowing from the windows. Snow makes everything seems so clean, peaceful and quiet.

This is my desktop picture right now, taken when Harry and I were hiking above Timberline in August.

What a fun and happy afternoon. We had one little girl fast asleep by the time we got home. Since we thought ahead, the girls changed into pj's after slipping out of their snow clothing.

The cat from next door who comes over for a daily dose of excitement.

The girls and I took advantage of some beautiful fall weather to spend some time outside.

Lauren patiently allowed me to take some pictures of her while playing around with my studio lights. Her expressions sure show her personality! Sweet one minute, silly the next.

Let it snow, let it snow!

2010-10-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

We had an early snowfall on the mountain this year. Two feet accumulated by October 27! So, we took advantage of early release from school and went and played in it for a couple hours. The girls loved it! Unfortunately, we learned that Alyssa had outgrown her snow boots and their current gloves are not waterproof. We made do, but will have to be better prepared for next time.

We are hoping the snow sticks around this year and that the ski areas get a good head start and stay open!

2010-10-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Early this month, our family was able to get away for a few days to Central Oregon. Since we had to postpone our August vacation, we took advantage of our beautiful autumn to relax at Eagle Crest. The girls were pulled out of school for a few days, but they didn't seem to mind.

The first few nights we had a small chalet that bordered a private greenspace with a pond. The girls enjoyed running around there, jumping the little creek and climbing the rocks.

Eagle Crest is home to our favorite mini golfing course of all time. The girls enjoyed it too, although it was challenging.

Lauren had her own technique of pushing the ball along with her club.

One of the best burgers in the country is here at Pilot Butte Drive-in. A must stop for the burger lover.

We enjoyed a stop at the Central Oregon Pumpkin Company where we wandered through the corn maze, petted animals, ate funnel cakes and rode the animal train (tractor ride).

Getting lost in the corn maze.

Pumpkin Cannon!

Baby Pygmy goat- so cute!

One week old baby lambs. I had no idea they were born with long tails!

Picking out a pumpkin.

The Central Oregon Pumpkin Company is near stunning Smith Rock State Park.

We had to opportunity to visit Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, near Tumalo, Or. This organization rescues horses and also works with troubled children. The founder, Kim Meeder, has written three excellent books and has also been featured more than once on Focus on the Family, with Dr. James Dobson.

This horse was rescued after being found standing for several weeks in chest high water from hurricane Katrina.

A swing made from one of those metal round turning things (name????) that you would normally hook horses to. One swings on each of the four arms, someone grabs a rope in the middle and pulls it around. Lauren loved it!

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch repair and workshop. Children get to have hands on learning with building and small projects here.

The girls loved having our own hot tub off the back deck. Harry and I enjoyed it at night with all the amazing stars brilliantly shining.

It was wonderful to get away as a family and stop at some of our favorite spots in Central Oregon. Now, to buckle back down to the school year.

Back to School

2010-09-09T08:10:00.001-07:00

This is a monumental year for us as both kids are in school now. Alyssa is in third grade and Lauren is in pre-school. The first two days for Alyssa have gone smoothly although there weren't any huge changes this year for her. The school was facing budget reductions and had to reduce the teaching staff, so Alyssa's second grade teacher is teaching a 2/3 blend class this year that Alyssa was put in. So, same teacher, same classroom, same hallway..... In some ways, it was a little disappointing for Alyssa as she would have liked a new classroom experience and her very own desk. She is still at tables shared by four kids like the previous grades.

Lauren just LOVES school and enthusiastically gave her teacher a hug when leaving yesterday. She attends three days a week in the morning and spends most of her time at her own desk, front and center, listening and repeating after the teacher. She says three pledges in the morning before class gets started ( to the flag, to the Christian flag, and to the Bible) and then dives into curriculum from the A Beka program.

Big news for Lauren! Last Sunday evening, Lauren asked the Lord Jesus to come into her heart and wash away her sins! Lauren is so excited and happy and has told me several times that she wants to tell everybody about it! Such sweet simple trust and understanding at age four.

Well, today is day 10 for the Amish Friendship starter, so that means baking day. Post to come soon.

Sewing Lesson

2010-09-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

For a few months now, Alyssa has been asking me to teach her to sew on my machine. She has already done some mending with a needle and thread, so I thought it would be fun to pick out a simple project for the sewing machine. The craft store had a nice variety of fun fabrics suitable for children's aprons, so I let the girls pick out two each for their own projects. Alyssa went for the cupcakes with the contrasting blue fabric and Lauren went for the popsicles and contrasting green fabric.

After searching out ideas online, we sketched out some designs. Alyssa went for a more straight forward, easy pattern for her first experience, while Lauren picked out something a little more intricate, since her mom would be doing all the stitching.

Alyssa was shown how to take all the measurements, make a pattern out of newspapers and cut out the apron pieces.

Pinning the trim to the main body of Alyssa's apron.

Way to go Alyssa!!

Alyssa wanted big curved pockets on the front.

Alyssa did almost ALL of the sewing. I helped her with the rounded corners of the pockets. Great job!

Since I did all the sewing on Lauren's apron, I made it fully lined on the inside, so it is finished a little more nicely. Someday with more practice, Alyssa can do more difficult projects like that.

Alyssa has also been learning to knit on the round loom. She has knitted a hat for her doll and hopes to make a matching one for herself (Pictures to come). With two crafty girls, we should have no problem finding something to do this winter when we are stuck inside away from the rain. Looking forward to it!

Fresh Blackberry Pie

2010-08-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Wild blackberries are so abundant in our area this time of year and my husband, Harold, has been enjoying picking many buckets for making culinary delights. I decided to use my favorite recipe for Fresh Raspberry Pie and simply change the berries used to blackberry. This recipe is really simple and I love how easy the pie dough is to handle. It results in a picture-perfect pie everytime!

The ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Filling:
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, or in this case, blackberries, thawed
1 tablespoon butter

Topping:
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Rinse the berries in a colander and shake the excess water off. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

Add the shortening.

Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg, water and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture until just moistened.

Divide the dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 or until easy to handle.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca, cornstarch and blackberries. In my case, the berries were really juicy, so I threw in a little flour to make sure the pie thickened up. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball of dough to fit a 9-in pie plate. Transfer the dough to pie plate, trim even with the edge. Save the edges for another use mentioned down farther.

Add the blackberry filling; dot with butter.

Roll out the remaining dough to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. It will thicken as it sits.

While the pie is baking, the dishes can be tackled!

The scraps of pie crust can be put on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

A friend dropped off my all-time favorite coffee drink- Starbucks pumpkin spice lattte! No other brands or shops come close to theirs! I enjoyed a pie crust cookie with my coffee.

The pie, hot from the oven.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Yield: 6-8 servings. Enjoy!! Next up: Amish Friendship Bread.

Changes

2010-07-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

2010 is proving to be a year of change, some good, some unexpected, but we trust the Lord for all that is to come and to carry us through. We are thankful that Harry has employment again! He started work July 6 in Clackamas, Oregon for Utility Trailers. The transition of going back to work has been a bit stressful and there is so much to learn, but we are thankful for a good company and a closer commute.

My folks have moved to Moses Lake! This week is the big moving week with the house in Portland being emptied of 40+ years of belongings and memories and being driven to the new home in Moses. It has been a time of mixed emotions, saying goodbye to my childhood home and the walls that have seen so many wonderful, loving, difficult and challenging times. We are so very thankful my folks can make the move to be a help to my brother and his family.

The girls and I just came back from a two week stay at the new house in Moses Lake. We had fun exploring the town and some of the local parks as well as spending lots of time with Adelynn. Harry joined us on weekends where we enjoyed cooling off at the local water park. Alyssa was very brave and conquered the water slides! The girls both had the opportunity to ride horses that belong to my folks realtor. She was very kind to invite us out to her barn to meet her 5 horses and one miniature donkey. The girls LOVED it and can't wait to ride again!

Papa and the girls escaping the heat under the shade of a tree. With four granddaughters, papa is getting plenty of experience with playing dolls :-)

Adelynn, Alyssa and Lauren coloring together.

Papa and Adelynn playing with the doll house.

Adelynn and Nana in the park in their backyard. Lauren thinks their whole yard is a park with all the room to run and their very own play structure!

Larissa, a cousin of Adelynn's, playing with the girls at the Munck's house.

Miss Kate enjoying the trampoline.

Miss Adelynn turns three years old!!!

I think Adelynn liked the corn and banana the best out of all her birthday presents!

The wind helped Adelynn blow her candles out.

One of the many BEAUTIFUL sunsets we watched from my parents back patio.

The girls and I took several walks down to the corner to watch these horses grazing.

Feeding Willy carrots. Willy was the most mischeivious of the five horses.

Cash

Reuben

Gracie and Charlie

We are looking forward to many more visits to Moses Lake. Meanwhile, we are trying to get settled into a routine here at home and caught up on housework and errands. It is time to scout out pre-schools for Lauren for the fall, I can hardly believe she is already old enough to go! She is going to LOVE it!!! Alyssa is preparing to head into third grade and we are trying to keep up with her studies at home this summer.

I'll try to not wait so long for the next posting!

Last Stop, A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village

2010-03-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

Our weekend away in the Willamette Valley wrapped up at the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Zone. A.C. Gilbert was a talented man who was born in 1884 in Oregon. He was an olympian prior to going to Yale medical school. Marrying in 1908, he supported his family performing magic rather than practicing medicine. He is famous for being the inventor of the erector set, which sold over 30 million units in his lifetime. Gilbert held over 150 patents for toy inventions at the time of his death. The discovery village is a tribute to this remarkable man as well as a fun and educational museum for children and adults. The village is spread over three historic houses and also includes a 20,000 square foot outdoor play area which has a three story slide! The museum is located in downtown salem right near walking trails along the river and the Riverfront Park with its carousel.

A visit to China. In this room there are Chinese characters that children (or adults) can practice drawing with water on slate tiles. They dry quickly, so if you mess up, just wait a minute and try again.

Musical area

Inside the 'stomach'. The balls are supposed to represent the enzymes that break food down.

Still in the stomach. You can crawl in either end of the digestive tract.

This wood cutout shows the anatomy of the face, in and out. The front side shows the superficial features, then crawl through the mouth and the backside reveals muscles, ligaments, bones, epiglottis and teeth. Talk in the ear and a tube on the back shows the path that the vestibulocochlear nerve takes to the brain.

Probably our favorite room in the village is the bubble room. Here you use pulleys to pull a hoop up and over you. It is tricky to keep the bubble from popping once you reach your waist.

Hulla hoop bubbles. I would love to try this outside this summer!

Alyssa did really well making HUGE bubbles!

Each time we go we get the traditional picture in the enormous rocking chair on the porch.

This room is very fun. You move around and your movement and shape is captured on the wall in front of you. The above is our entire family and as you can see, both Harry and I are taking a picture. :-)

Amy, with camera.

Alyssa waving her arms.

Alyssa the acrobat.

Lauren learning about boat safety.

The little grocery store. Hmmm, how many calories are in this?

Lauren learning to weigh her produce on the scale.

Wouldn't it be fun if I could pick out whatver I wanted when I shop with mommy and daddy??

The black tube snakes around the outdoor area, probably close to 100 feet, and you can talk in each end. The other person sounds very far away, but you can hear them clearly.

Want to learn about mitochondria? This is the place.

Oooh, more dinosauer bones!

Late Winter in the Oregon Garden

2010-03-09T10:19:00.001-08:00

After a good nights sleep at the resort and a filling breakfast, we headed back into the garden for a few more hours. The day was showing a change in the weather, with a chilly breeze in the air and clouds on the horizon, so we tried to see as much as we could before it began raining. The rain ended up holding off until we arrived home later that day. The pictures are out of order, the first two being our lunch stop after the garden at one of our favorite spots, Chipotle.

Chicken fajita burrito bowl! YUM!

Signs of spring were all around us in the garden, with trees flowering and thousands of daffodils blooming.

There are 20 gardens to walk through, not including the Oak grove with the signature 400 year old oak, wetlands and rediscovery forest. I will attempt to list them: Entry water garden, rose garden with over 40 varieties of roses, Chez garden (an eclectic display of ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials), pet friendly garden, NW garden, native garden, Silverton Market garden which celebrates agricultures significance in Oregon, children's garden, axis garden, conifer garden, a-mazing water garden, bosque with four brick reflecting ponds, honor garden, sensory garden, home demonstration gardens, lewis and clark garden, dinosaur garden, iris garden, valley garden and drought tolerant garden. This is spread over 80 acres with many pathways, stairs and views of the valley beyond. There is also an education center, pavillion for events, greenhouse, visitor center and the famed Gordon house, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Every season holds its own magic in the garden, with colors and form revealed.

Frank Lloyd Wright house. Tours available with separate entrance fee.

In the rose garden.

A sculpture mae by a local artist, Rip Caswell, who has a foundry down the road from us in Troutdale.

Silhouette of the 400 year old oak tree.

Part of the Silverton Market garden.

The Oak Grove. I was walking through here on my own and was able to witness a hawk who caught a squirrel and was flying away clutching it. Wish I was fast enough to get a picture.

Bridge over the A-mazing Water garden.

We got a kick out of these planters in the Children's garden. Lauren kept calling them Papa and Grandma ;-). Is that what retirement is all about??? Not so with my folks, they are busier than ever.

Hobbitt house in the Children's Garden. You can crawl through it or run over it. Wouldn't this be great for the kiddos in the backyard??! It's just a big pipe with dirt and grass over it. Hmmm, where could I fit that?

Being green :-) Recycle, reduce and reuse....even your bathroom fixtures! There use to be an old piano with plants growing out of the keys and top, but that must of rotted enough to dismantle it.

Papa and grandma still sitting there, taking time to smell the flowers :-)

My lovely Alyssa Nanette, growing into a young lady.

My mischievous Lauren Noelle, always a look of mischief in those pretty brown eyes.

Silverton Market garden, wider view.

Train garden within the children's garden. Operating hours, 10 to 3. It even has realistic noises and goes over a bridge and through a tunnel in the hedge.

Still sitting there....

One of my favorite trees, the corkscrew willow.

Sand play area in the Children's garden where kids can be archeologists and excavate dinosauer bones.

Alyssa loved this pathway that wound through a 'forest' of bamboo.

My girls, on top of the hobbitt house.

Another example of reusing. Old tools and bicycle parts to make a gate!

Bosque. In the summer the planters are filled with 80 plants.

Wood tree fort with cute cutouts in the railing.

An old Schwinn bike, very much like the one I had as a young girl.

Conifer garden. An assortment of cone bearing plants.

On the Oak Grove Trail.

Spring is awakening!!

Where else but in Oregon would you see a slug water fountain?

Palm tree, looking a little out of place in the Willamete Valley.

The garden really promotes going green and displays many examples of doing so here and in the resort. One method is that the garden uses the treated water from the town of Silverton for the irrigation needs. Also portions of the garden demonstrates how to keep plants healthy without the use of pesticides.

The garden will be bursting with color in a few short months, as the greenhouses are already full of the 40,000 plus annual starts that will be transplanted in the spring. We can't wait to go back! For the green thumb, a family outing, or just to enjoy the colors of nature, please make a stop at the Oregon Garden!

Next up: The A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village in Salem. Whew!

Stop Two: Oregon Garden Resort

2010-03-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

After spending the afternoon at the Mission Mill, we drove 15 miles east to the Oregon Garden Resort, near Silverton, Oregon. This resort is situated on 11 acres and is a boutique resort with over 18,000 square feet of meeting facilities, a wedding garden, garden view restaurant, a lounge with an amazing wood burning fireplace, a full service day spa and 17 guest cottages that house six rooms each with private patios or decks. (Do I sound like an advertisement yet? :-) ) Oh, there is also a fitness center and outdoor heated pool and hot tub. Unfortunately, the pool is seasonal and not open until June. One of my favorite aspects of staying here is it is right next to the Oregon Garden, with its own private entrance that hotel guests can enter with their room key, even in the hours the garden is closed to the public. After checking into our cottage, the Ginko (each is named after a plant), we wandered down into the garden to explore the 80 acres that felt like it was ours alone. We only saw a handful of people since it was after hours. The kids LOVED running down the paths and exploring the childrens garden, complete with a tree fort, hobbit house, train garden and whimsical plants throughout. The Oregon Garden has 20 separate garden areas and is beautiful throughout all the seasons. More about the garden in the next posting, for now back to the hotel. For those that travel with pets, there are pet friendly rooms here as well as an outdoor pet area for the dogs to run.

Our room was very fresh and light, with vaulted ceilings, iron beds, hand painted furniture, fireplace and a ceiling fan (love it!). The bed, for a hotel, was SO comfortable and was tripled sheeted, as well as having a very thick and warm down duvet. We had a private deck and being away from the lights of town, were amazed at how brilliant the stars were. There was a small fridge and microwave in the room as well as a coffeepot. Harry was impressed with the flat screen tv too :-).

Room reservations include admittance into the garden as often as you want during your stay and a full American buffet breakfast in the restaurant. The breakfast was by far one of the best we have had in a hotel and it included hot foods like scrambled eggs, potatoes cooked with onion and peppers, sausages, and it had fresh pastries, fruits as well as cold cereal. YUM! It gave us good ammunition before heading back into the garden for a few more hours.

The resort is child friendly and the garden has many attractions for kids as well-our kids did NOT get bored, which is amazing! We can't wait to go back and HIGHLY recommend this spot as an escape from home that is less than an hour away.

Heading back to the lodge after exploring the garden upon arrival.

The restaurant, which has three tiers of seating and a patio which all have a fabulous view. The dinner menu looked wonderful as well, featuring NW ingredients.

Just behind the lodge is the wedding garden with pavilion as well as the Rose Cottage which brides may use to get ready.

Main lobby and front desk.

Lounge with wood burning fireplace. If we ever go without the kids, this would be a great spot to relax and unwind.

Private entrance for hotel guests into the garden. The wood structure has benches so that guests can wait for the tram that tours the garden in the summer months.

Another lounge picture.

The lodge the next morning.

The wedding pavilion.

Guest cottages.

Entrance to spa. Fitness center is around the corner.

Our room with two queens. The fireplace is in the corner and is thermostat controlled. The only way to heat the room is to turn the thermostat up which turns on the fireplace. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to heat the room up and then we had to sleep with the windows wide open to cool down a bit.

Our room looking towards the deck. It was clean and spacious.

Another guest cottage.

With two tired girls, we had dinner in our room. For those who wish to go into town, Silverton is minutes away and has many great restaurants on a creek in the downtown core. There are also many great shops to explore.

Up next: The Oregon Garden!

A Weekend in the Valley

2010-03-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

With a forecast of a warm and sunny weekend, the four of us decided to head towards Silverton, in the Willamette Valley for a weekend away. We packed both days full of stops at museums and gardens which left us with over 700 pictures. For the sake of our readers, we will break it down by location. Stop number one was the old Thomas Lister Kay Mission Mill a few blocks away from the state capital in Salem, Oregon.

Before taking off to explore on our own, we had a tour of the four historic buildings on the premises, originally part of a Methodist Mission founded in the 1840's. We walked through a Parsonage, which housed married missionaries on the first floor, singles on the second and any visitors passing through in the attic, the John D. Boon house, the Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church and the Jason Lee House, which occupied four families, including the leader of the Methodist Mission to Oregon. Each structure was complete with furnishings of the time period as well as some original pieces to the first inhabitants of the mission.

Next, we moved on to the mill, which had exhibits showing the process of taken virgin wool and cleaning it, carding it, spinning it and then weaving it into fabrics and blankets. The mill closed in the 1950's, but all the equipment in the mill is original and some pieces are still operated. The mill was run by electricity generated from a turbine that was turned by a creek. As you walk through the mill, you can see the various pulleys and belts that turned to operate the machinery.

The buildings are beautifully maintained and the grounds are gorgeous. We highly recommend a stop at the mill if you are ever passing by. There is also a cafe and shops which had unique items, as well as yarns for the crafter.

Time cards

There are days I would LOVE a washing machine this big!

Carding the wool

Large scale carding

Weaving the yarns

Blacksmith shop

Mill creek

Jason Lee house on right, Presbyterian church on left

This cast iron cookware made me think of another blogger over here.

A collection basket used in the church.

Bible from the 1840's, original to one of the missionaries, hauled by horseback from the East.

Jason Lee house.

Woolen mill.

I hope you enjoyed our little tour! Up next: stop number two, the Oregon Garden Resort.

A six month old bundle of cuteness!

2010-02-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

A week ago I had the opportunity to take pictures of this darling six month old boy and also some mother-son photos. He was very patient with all the clothing and prop changes through the two hour session. For fun, we put on some baby songs and discovered he really liked the song "Bear necessities"! He bounced his foot in beat to the tune and even tried to sing along a few times.

Love the toes!!!

Ticklish on his neck :-)

So much love!!

His little buddy, bear, in a matching outfit.

Bath time!

Beautiful blue eyes!

Thank you for a very fun time!

Happy Birthday Jason, From Your Kiddies

2010-01-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night, we had Jason and Abby R's kids over for a photo session to surprise their daddy with for his birthday. Aunti Lori had them all spiffied up with a new shirt for T and a new outfit for L. Little L had something going on with her and so she wasn't terribly happy, but with the help of her very special big brother, we mananged to get some good shots.

The first time trying the plexiglass under a real person. With the lighting at that time of night and my flash, I didn't get the brighter reflection I was hoping for, but it still had a neat effect. Something to play around with to figure out how to best get a mirrored reflection.

Fun props!

Looking dapper, T-man!

Thanks for coming by and doing such a good job. The girls would like you back sometime for a playdate too!

Portrait Sittings Part 2

2010-01-25T09:36:00.001-08:00

Here is a sampling of more of the photoshoots I have had during the last several months. The top picture was more or less an experiment using plexiglass and creating a reflection. I haven't been able to try it out on a real model yet.

R was a sweet young lady with a beautiful smile.

N was a doll who was so patient with all the poses and props. This one has an old paper/old photo filter effect.

One of my favorites of her!

Babies give such funny expressions sometimes.

All the kids together.

Portrait Sittings Part 1

2010-01-24T17:31:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos taken during the last several months of friends and neighbors. All of the older teens are taken outside around the Gresham area and all of the kids photos are taken from my home, mostly using natural light. I have many more I want to post, so will try to get them up this week.

Old Photo Paper Filter Effect. B was very fun and full of many great expressions!

Beautiful brown eyes!

M.R. senior photo shoot in Vancouver, Washington on a rainy day.

M.S., a little guy from across the street. M. did really well, but was more interested in playing upstairs with the toys, especially since he knew where to find them :-)

M. with his sister C. She is a little doll!

I "heart" baby feet!

Two week old little girl.

Another neighbor, C., who spent an afternoon at three locations to do her senior photos. She was a great model!

One of my favorites! Very cool location!

This truck had a lot of character and was a fun prop! B kindly allowed me to shoot her senior photos around her home and the farm.

Another rainy day, but we made the best of it!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays! We are enjoying winter break and keeping busy with the kids. The weather surprised everyone with a little snowfall yesterday afternoon and so we took advantage of it and headed outside for a few hours. The four of us built three snowmen in our yard and then Alyssa built another one this morning with Papa at their house.

Lauren still insists on wearing summery dresses on these chilly winter days. She finally agreed to leggings and even sometimes pants underneath to keep her warm.

Christmas day. The girls really like the cat and kitten that Grandpa and Grandma H sent. The cats purr, move and meow and seem so life-like.

Santa pancakes for breakfast!

The stockings stuffed by Mr. Clause and an empty plate and mug on the mantle with just a few cookie crumbs left.

Holiday card-2009.

Wishing a warm and happy holiday season to all our dear friends!

Catch up

2009-12-17T14:40:00.001-08:00

Here are a series of photos from the last month or so. We headed up to South Prairie, Washington for Thanksgiving with family and spent the first night away in downtown Seattle. We had a great time! We rode the monarail to the Seattle Center and then Alyssa and Harry went up the Space Needle. Lauren and I stayed down below and went through the gift shop.

The view from the top!

Getting ready to head out from The Camlin, a hotel rich in history and also a few famous patrons, such as Al Capone, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the scene from a movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

We had a painting project going on in our living room. We painted a far wall this "burnt cinnamon" color and then did the rest of the walls in a "tawny bisque". We are really enjoying the refreshing change and especially like the warmer colors.

My big helper.

This is Jackie, the cat the tried to adopt us. She spent about a month sleeping on our bench at night and meowing for food during the day. We found out she has owners a block away but has chosen not to return home anymore. The last week she is quite content and spoiled living in our next door neighbors house, only coming out a couple times a day. We are glad she found a home where she is happy.

Warming up at Boring Bark where we picked out our Christmas tree. The owners spoiled us with hot cocoa and coffee, freshly roasted on site.

We enjoyed a visit from our cousins of the South and had a chance to visit while the kids played.

We all enjoyed holding baby W.

A and L playing with the dollhouse in Papa and Grandma's sunroom. It is a pretty neat dollhouse with sounds, lights and lots of little accessories to decorate the house with.

The baby doll, Annie, on the right was my doll as a child. She was almost as big as W and he sure enjoyed looking at her, at least until her head popped off!

Fall Activities

2009-12-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

With the cold snap we recently had, some of the local ponds froze over and we were able to head over to the cement casting pond at Westmoreland Park on Thursday afternoon for a few hours of skating. What a rare opportunity for Portland area to freeze up enough to skate outside! The ice popped and cracked a bit as we skated, but what freedom we enjoyed to fly over the immense surface on a gorgeous day!
Harry headed back to skate Friday morning and was surpised when almost the entire WinterHawk WHL hockey team showed up for an outside practice. A few of the players even invited Harry and some other bystanders to scrimmage with them. Harry assisted in a goal against the Hawks! We were pretty excited to see a clip of the practice including Harry on the evening news that night.

Check out how tall this guy is! He's not wearing skates and he is still taller and broader than Harry.

Alyssa and me skating Thursdsay evening on the frozen casting pond. What a fun time!!

We had skates for Lauren but she said it was too "freaky" to go on the ice, but we managed to get her into a camping chair we brought and had a great time pushing her around.

Alyssa is wearing an extra pair of skates I had, although they were three sizes too big, she did well. She really enjoyed skating with a hockey stick and puck.

Lacing up.

Almost ready!

Train show

Several weeks ago the four of us went to a train show that boasts over 1500 square feet and growing of miniature trains, towns, cars, tunnels, lights and people. We were intrigued with the realism of it and with all the train club members operating the switches and communicating through their headsets. Lauren was thrilled with one of the flatbed cars that was carrying one of the Thomas the Tank Engine characters. The club doesn't open its doors to the public too often, so we were sure to stop in and see it.

Train video

Leaves are falling and flying!

2009-10-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

We took a Sunday afternoon drive up the mountain to Welches and Government Camp, exploring many of the beautiful leaf covered back roads. We found an area for the kids to play near the Salmon River and they had a great time throwing the leaves in the air. The colors are past their peak, but the woods were still vibrant with various fall colors.

Get ready.........

.......get set.........

............go!

It is hard to get Lauren to give us a "pretty" face. She'd much rather do her own thing!

A weekend at the beach

2009-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to run over to the Oregon Coast for a couple nights. We stayed in Seaside and had a room overlooking Broadway and the beach. The weather was perfect so we were able to get out both days for walks on the promenade and beach. The girls also hit their favorite spots in town: the tilt-a-whirl ride and the carousel. Alyssa and Lauren also spent a lot of time in the hat shop in the mall trying on all their goofy headware.

The house in the picture below used to be owned by my piano teacher. My folks rented in from her on a few occassions, the last of which was in 1991 (I believe). Pierce was just a few months old when we had a family get-together with all the Badens for a week. Scott and Bob were with us for that time as well. Grandpa Baden organized a game for us on the beach with prizes for all of the grandkids, of which I still have. Natalie and I slept on the third floor in a little alcove that faced the beach. The house slept 15-20, so it didn't seem at all crowded with the entire family. This house is for sale now, fully furnished (although it looks pretty ratty) and is three blocks from the beach and promenade. The price seems pretty good at $299K but it does need some work. I hope whoever buys it will keep it as a rental as I would love to stay there again. Natalie, do you remember throwing balls through the 3rd floor window to the deck below and then trying to throw them back again? :)

Harry had never seen the South end of Seaside up towards Tillamook Head, so we drove up there to explore it. When I was about 12 or 13, my brothers, Scott's friend Jeff and I went hiking up that head in December late in the afternoon. It was a warm day and so we were not dressed for cold night weather. Well, we ended up getting off the trail somehow and lost on the logging roads that wind around up there. It was well after dark that we made our way down onto highway 101 a couple miles out of Seaside. This was before cell phones were terribly popular, so we had to hike back into town even though I remember being so cold, tired and scared. I never go through that stretch of 101 without thinking of that time. So, when Harry and I reached the trailhead, I got out to look at the map of the area when two hikers came wandering out of the woods who were completely turned around and lost. Turns out, they had started the hike with friends from Canon Beach, clear on the other side of Tillamook Head and had become separated from their friends as well as turned around. Rather than having them hike back several miles through the mud and steep terrain, the kids and I hopped out of the car while Harry ran them back to the other side in the car. The girls and I walked down from the trail head through the beautiful forrested hillside towards the beach and waited there for Harry.

Tillamook Head is the tall point in the background (picture below). The trail winds around the front of the point from Seaside on the North to Canon Beach on the South. There are miles of logging roads that wind around up there.

The town of Seaside. We stayed at that resort towards the left side of the picture (tallest building) which is next to the popular Broadway Avenue and promenade.

The biggest hit for the kids were the swings on the beach. We spent a few hours here throughout the weekend (the other big hit was the pool).

Someone had spent a lot of time building this realistic looking sandcastle just below the turn-around. Many people stopped to admire it and snap a picture.

View of the sunset from our balcony. I never, ever get tired of staring at the ocean. The resort has really good coffee in the rooms so I always brew a pot of decaf in the evening and watch the sun go down when we stay here.

Another view from our balcony. A slow shutter speed to capture the traffic going around the turn-around.

It looks cold here, but we quickly peeled off our layers as we walked/scootered down the boardwalk (no, Harry wasn't riding that little one ;-) ).

Apple Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Sauce

2009-09-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

With all the apples available this time of year, it is hard not to indulge in some of our favorite recipes. Harry has made pear crisp several times this week and this afternoon Alyssa and I made an apple coffee cake. Here is the recipe for those that might be interested. It is a bit rich for a breakfast treat, so we serve it as a dessert with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.

Apple Coffe Cake with Brown Sugar Sauce

2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sauce
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup brandy (if desired)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake - Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan, 9 1/2 inch springorm pan or a square glass baking dish. (Cooking time will vary by a few minutes between metal and glass pans)

Using a pastry blender, work flour with brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Divide mixture in half. Evenly press half into pan bottom to form a crust.

Stir in baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into remaining crumb mixture until blended, then make a well in the center. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in apples.

Evenly spread batter over crumb mixture. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out fairly clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. If top gets too brown before cake is baked, lightly lay a piece of foil over top for last 10 to 20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on a rack. Cake keeps well at room temperature for a day. Covered, it freezes well and is easily cut while still frozen.

Sauce - Melt butter in a small sauce pan set over medium heat. In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour with sugar. Then, whisk into melted butter until the mixture is moistened. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Remove from heat. Serve immediately over warm apple coffee cake or cover and refrigerate up to a week. Reheat just before serving.

Enjoy!!

Somehow the picture of Alyssa was deleted from the last post wearing her hat from Grandma Ann and Grandpa Dave, so here it is.

Hood River Valley apples and more

2009-09-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

We had our first fire in our hearth for Autumn last night. The girls curled up in front of it with their dad and read books together.

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Ann were recently in Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables and sent each of us a gift from the island. Alyssa was sent a hat with red braids.
Lauren had just as much fun wearin it!
Lauren was given a tea set, which she immediately put to use! Alyssa decided to be "Anne" for Halloween this year and wear an old fashioned dress I wore around age 10 with her hat.

Alyssa taking advantage of our nice fall weather. Rain is forcasted for this week and the days are already feeling a little darker.

Grapes from our backyard! We only got about five bunches this year, but this is the first full year for this plant. They were really good! Looking forward to getting a bigger harvest in a few years.

We headed up to Hood River Valley to buy apples for making sauce. We also ended up getting a bunch of pears which Harry has baked into several yummy crisps. Autumn is definately here!

Get away to Klammath Falls

2009-09-09T08:00:00.001-07:00

The building our unit was in at Running Y Ranch. Our first time visiting this part of Oregon. We had a very comfortable unit, decorated in a more rustic theme. The first night of our trip we broke up the drive and stayed in Medford. We had the opportunity to visit the flagship Harry and David store and missed out on a tour of the factory where they make the chocolates as it is closed on the weekends. At the resort there are so many things to do: bike trails, pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, shopping, dining, golf and a putting course. It is also on the lake, so if you have your own canoe or kayak, there is a launching area. There are also private homes in this resort and some were VERY NICE for a second home.

Lauren fell asleep in the car coming home, I carried her in to the couch, where she continued sleeping. I didn't lay her down like this, she squirmed around in her sleep.

Alyssa is really enjoying photography and likes to use my old Nikon D80.

Mirror Pond in downtown Bend. Love this park!

Foot bridge across the river. We dug out a loaf of bread from the car to feed the ducks, swans and geese. We were surprised at how aggressive the swans were!

Harry and Alyssa out in the boat. Alyssa was able to pilot it a couple times and did really well.

Lake of the Woods Resort, about 30 miles from our resort was our favorite destination of the week. We rented a small motor boat, swam in the lake, had pizza at the Marina Cafe and relaxed! This lake is very clear and clean, surrounded by rugged mountains and trees. The air was amazing! The picture above is the restaurant, with a more developed menu, focusing on local ingredients.

I loved all the bright red adriondak chairs and tables scattered around the resort!

Mt. Mcloughlin in the background.

Need any sundry items? This is the place. An original building from the 1900's when the resort was developed. The other buildings had burnt down and were rebuilt in the 80's, I believe.

The stinky Lake (Klammath Falls Lake). Shallow and warm which promotes the algae growth that causes it to stink. Those are pelicans in the water; there is a tremendous variety of bird species in this lake.

The green algae is visible along the shoreline. This lake isn't widely used for recreational activities, but we were told that sailing and occasionally jet skiing do occur here.

There were a few overlooks that you hike down narrow trails that hug the cliff with no more than a knee high wall stopping a very steep drop. I clung to the girls hands very tightly on these trails. The kids were not all that impressed with this lake; guess the appreciation comes with age :)

Crater Lake Lodge in Oregon's only National Park. No, it normally doesn't lean like that, it was the way I took the picture :)

For those wanting a boat excursion of the lake, you must drive about 15 miles to the other side of the lake, hike down a steep one mile switchbacked trail to get to the boat. This also goes for those who want to put their feet in the cold, cold water.

The blue water never ceases to amaze me! With Crater Lake being the deepest lake in the U.S., the depth gives it the rich blue tones. Along the shallower banks, the tones change to beautiful greens.
Rex, one of the horses that pulls the wagon ride at Running Y Ranch.

My little girl ~ growing up!

2009-09-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

We took some pictures of Alyssa this morning, the last day of summer vacation. I can hardly believe she is heading off to second grade already! Tomorrow will be filled with mixed emotions, as it always is on the first day of school.

I am still trying to come up with a good aspect ratio for my pictures that won't distort them. If anyone knows of one for both horizontal and vertical pictures, please share :) These three photos were played around with in photoshop, adding frames and soft edges. The same of Lauren will be on later.

2009-09-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of the girls from the last week, one picture including a neighbor girl. I am trying to resize these so they show up larger on the blog. This is attempt number 1.

We have been a bit under the weather the last week. Harry is recovering from another bout of pneumonia in both lungs, and each day feels a little stronger. The girls both have colds and I hope Alyssa is well enough to start school tomorrow.

With the start of another school year we are looking forward to the routine of rising earlier, getting housework done in the a.m., and trying to catch up on numerous projects. Lauren will sure miss her big sister, but it will be nice to have some individual time with her.

Harry is still looking for work, but has slowed down a bit from illness and also our vacation away to southern Oregon (another post). We trust that at the right time, the Lord will show us what He has planned. We appreciate everyone's prayers!

Catch up part 1

2009-08-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy summer and therefore I have been getting way behind with the blog. Following are a bunch of pictures with limited explanation to show what we have been up to. More to come!
Lauren is enjoying burying her feet in the sand at North Fogarty Beach near Depoe Bay. We enjoyed a couple nights there and found a beach away from the wind that the girls could play on.

Otter Crest as seen from Cape Foulweather. One of our favorite little restaurants is far out on the little bluff: Mo's!

500 feet above the ocean!!

Cape Foulweather - and was it ever windy!

Washing off mom's feet.

Peek!

Hanging out in the pool on a hot summer day

Sunset on Mt. Hood and Trillium Lake. The Palmer snowfield is being groomed to prepare for another day of skiing.

The water isn't still enough to get a great reflection of the mountain.

Alyssa LOVED swimming in the lake despite the other creatures that were in the water with her (snakes, fish, salamanders.....)!

Still some wildflowers blooming in late August.

I have a hard time getting my horizons straight!

Lauren trying to get the duck to swim to hear; Harold and Alyssa in the background swimming.

Splash pad at Blue Lake Park. Alyssa, Lauren and a friend enjoyed an afternoon here.

Portland, Oregon skyline at night. A friend and I went out one evening to capture the lights.

Typical Portland scene: bridges and bikes!

An old bridge near Rowena Crest in the Columbia River Gorge. Very windy here!

A treat for picking peaches!

There are hundreds of these wind turbines in the gorge now, especially East of Biggs Junction.

One of our favorite farms: Gunkels Orchards in Maryhill, Washington.

86 pounds picked and ripening! Will be busy in a few days preparing them for the freezer! They are delicious!!

July Fourth Festivities

2009-08-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I am way behind on my blog and we have so much to post about. As I can only upload a couple photos at a time and very slowly, for the next few postings I am going to try the scrapbook by smilebox, at least until I am caught up.

On July fourth, we started with the traditional neighborhood parade. All the local kids decorated their bikes, wagons, scooters and strollers for the parade through the neighborhood, marching to patriotic music. Many people set up lawnchairs to watch the very simple parade go by, some throwing out candy, another fun bright necklaces and waving to the children. After three loops around blocks everyone circled around to the coordinators house for ice cream and juice. Alyssa and Lauren had red, white and blue flowers on their bikes/wagons as well as a few flags and some patriotic magnets on the wagon. I can't find the pictures on my laptop, so couldn't post them.

Following the parade, we decided to head up Mt. Hood for a couple hours to cool off in the Salmon River at the Green River Canyon Campground. Brrrrr! Was the mountain stream ever cold!! Harry had the courage to jump right in and float with the current downstream a little ways. Alyssa kept busy building a dam with rocks while Lauren decided to lay out her towel on the rocks and catch some sun rays.

Once we had enough of the water, we headed home for a rest before the big fireworks display in Corbett. We made a yummy American picnic of hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, chips and dip, and peanut butter cookies. We also loaded up with camping chairs, blankets and sleeping bags to keep warm for the show. Unfortunately, the hot dog juice leaked out and managed to soak almost everything. Amazingly, when I took the lid off, their was still a lot of water in the dish. A little spill went a LONG way to getting things wet!

The show was amazing. I tried to get pictures on my tripod, but with Lauren scared with all the KA BOOMS she was wiggling around in my lap trying to hide and watch at the same time. We are definately heading back there next year, as it is close to home and a fantastic display. It took about thirty five minutes to get out of the area as there is basically two ways in and hundreds or more cars trying to get out. By the time we got home, we had two sleeping girls in the back seat, but at least Lauren was already dressed in her pj.'s.

Boy, did they sleep good that night! Looking forward to going back, maybe with a better dish for the dogs. :)