typical spring in Western Washington

It is a typical spring here in Western Washington.  One day it edges near 70 degrees and people are walking around in shorts, the next day is cold and rainy in the 50's and we have a fire going.  Today it can't decide what to do, sunny one minutes, pouring down rain another.

We did 77 baskets at the co-op.  We got:  Jonagold Apples. Cara Cara Oranges, Bananas, Kiwi, Pineapple, Asparagus, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Carrot, baby cucumbers, Romaine and Grey Squash.

Our day was a crazyness of overlapping obligations.  Produce co-op here 9-10:30, have Isaac at the church at 8:45 for a tour of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with his scout troop.  Have Miriam and Elizabeth at the church 9:30-11:00 for a primary activity.  Pick up Isaac at 12:30.  Have Elizabeth at a birthday party 25 minutes away from 1-4.  Anastaya had a birthday party to go to from 2-5 but decided to stay home.  My brother came over around 2 and my mom and Greg showed up around 4.  Dode managed to get a bike ride in on his continuing quest to map the Pilchuck Tree Farm.  The part he was on was way more horse friendly than bike friendly, lots of beat up trails.  Hike a bike adventures are not my cup of tea!  Kayla and Alisa came over for a few hours and enjoyed our time honored tradition of lawnmower rides.

2004, out in the "back 40" with Isaac and Elizabeth.

2004, Grandma Sharon giving the grandkids a ride

Isaac's birthday party 2006

Alisa driving the lawnmower

I finally got my lamp up that my dad gave me for Christmas.  It had belonged to my great grandmother.  It passed from her to my mom.  Now it's mine.  It's a converted oil lamp.  It took us a while to get it up because we couldn't make a hard wired installation for it because of the radiant heat in the ceiling.  Dode had to run a wire down through a chain and we plug it in at a wall outlet. 

The crystals were all missing so I had to buy new ones.  When I received them, they were held together with shiny brass metal.  It did not go with the aged brass of the lamp so I took each of the 21 drop crystals apart, spray painted the metal, and reassembled them.  You can't tell very well from the photo, but in real life it was jarring.

When Greg comes up, he brings his guitar so he can give Jacob a lesson.  Miriam has an old guitar that she brought down.  She was singing and composing a song with Greg.

If you have over 100 laundry baskets, you might as well find a new use for them.  Anastaya and Miriam built a "house" that they played in for hours.  The green baskets are bushes and the blue baskets are flowers.

3/20/10

It was an absolutely beautiful day today.  Sunshine, warm, amazing.  Isaac's scout troop took advantage of the day by going on a last minute bike ride on the Centennail Trail.  Dode met them at the turn around spot with a hot dog lunch. 

We had a full morning.  At one point in the morning we had the following going on.  The driveway was busy with people coming and going as they got their produce.    Sheri and Joel were picking up their produce and Seth was driving Ellie around in the power wheel jeep.  Elizabeth was jumping on the trampoline.  A friend from church was outside near us with Anastaya on a chair, teaching her how to embrace her curly hair, complete with spray bottles, hair gel and hair dryer.  Her happy baby was cooing in the infant seat, her toddler was playing on a scooter, her older son was enjoying the zip line.  Children were showing up for Miriam's birthday party and Miriam was driving them around in her new jeep, Dode was fiddling with something and I smiled to myself and thought, I really like this kind of chaos. 

Miriam had a fun party.  She wanted to make gingerbread houses so before the party, we went over to Haggen and she picked out lots of different types of candies from the bulk bins.  Because she was the guest of honor, she had to spend a few minutes sitting on the couch crying when her friends didn't want to do just what she did.  But, in the end, she had a great party.

What'd we get today at the co-op?  Pink Lady Apples (a perfect crisp balance of sweet/tart), Bananas, Savoy Cabbage, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Asparagus, Cucumbers, Romaine, an enormous Papaya, Cauliflower, Red Potatoes and Fennel.

Miriam turns 5 years old

Saturday our sweet Miriam turned five years old.  It's hard to believe how much she's grown!

3/13/05, 4 pounds 1/2 ounce

meeting Grandma Sharon

2 weeks old

hanging out in the NICU

Leaving Miriam behind when I left the hospital was the hardest thing I've ever done.  I cried so much in the days following her birth.  We should have known she was a fighter when she made it out of the NICU in only 10 days.   The only times Miriam could be held was when she was being tube fed.  Because of my C-Section, I couldn't be at the hospital as much as I wanted.  It meant so much to me to have our family there to hold her in "kangaroo care" when I could not. She definately began her life on earth surrounded by people who love her.

Five years have gone by and she is spunky as ever.  She was definately the birthday queen on her special day.  Several times throughout the day, when she was told "no", she said, "but it's my birthday!"  No Dora lunchbox from Haggen?  "But it's my birthday"  No ice cream as a main dish for lunch?  "But it's my birthday"  For breakfast, Miriam and Dode walked over to Haggen for donuts and gummy candy selected from the bulk bins.  We let her open a gift after breakfast, a Melissa & Doug ice cream play set for her kitchen.  Then, she and her dad road bikes around outside.  After lunch, she got to open the rest of her gifts,

a BBQ set for her play kitchen,

 

a booster seat with built in lights, and her 1st pair of roller skates.  For dinner, she wanted pancakes and strawberry cake.  She ate one crumb of cake.

After dinner, we went to a night orienteering event.  It was a bit cold, but as long as we were moving we stayed warm.  If you don't know what orienteering is, it's a geeky sport where you are given a topographical map of an area. There are locations marked on the map.  Your job is to find each location, in the order they are marked on the map. When you get there, you find a white and orange orienteering flag.  There is an electronic gadget at the flag that you stick a special electronic "punch" in to prove you were there.  They stagger the start and the person with the fastest time wins.  The competitive orienteerers run through the course.  We've never been competitive.  The added challenge of a night "O" is that you're trying to find your way around in the dark.  Running around in the dark with flashlights in the woods?  Sounds like fun to me.  It took us an hour and 1/2 to complete the course and at various times the children were thrilled, discouraged, fighting, sick/needing to use the restroom, excited, scared.  Typical family outing!

At the produce co-op this week, we received:  Braeburn Apples. Bananas, Kiwi, Navel Oranges, Anjou Pears, Pineapple, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Red Leaf Lettuce, Red Bell Peppers, Yukon Gold Spuds.

Another reason to love the co-op... tasty lunches.  I've been eating variations on this for a few days.  A Yukon Gold potato, diced and cooked in the microwave for 7 minutes, topped with a generous scoop of my eggplant dip, asparagus steamed in the microwave for 5 minutes, 1/2 a red bell peper to dip in a small cup of hummus from Costco.  Easy, nutritious, delicious.

It was a unique weekend in that twice there were two Dorrels in the same location.  Now, how often does that happen?  Friday Mark Anglin, Dorrel Quinton's son-in-law, was baptised and Sunday night Dorrel's daughter Cori and her two sons were baptised.  We've known Cori and Mark for years and have enjoyed their family.  We were so excited for them.  I wish I could have captured a photo of the Dorrels together.

Sunday we celebrated Miriam's birthday with my mom, Greg, Matthew, Millie and Gabe.  Boma's gift to Miriam was a new Jeep.  Dode and the kids assembled it when Miriam was gone.

And we had the big reveal on Sunday.

We've had Isaac's jeep for years and years and it has seen a lot of miles (and a lot of replacement batteries). 

 

June 2000, giving Jacob a ride

July 2000, took it along with us when we went camping at Baker Lake

 

Isaac was three years old when he received his jeep. 

He doesn't fit so well anymore in this photo taken in 2008.

A truly wonderful eggplant recipe

I love the produce co-op.  I love having access to lots of varieties of produce.  I love trying things I haven't had for a while.  Fresh pineapple on a weekly basis?  Bring it on.  New varieties of pears to try and enjoy?  Sign me up for more Starkrimson please.  Fresh beets to roast?  YES!  I wasn't loving eggplant.  I'd tried it cooked the way my cooking gurus at Cooks Illustrated suggested and it just wasn't doing anything for me.  I know I like it as eggplant parmesan but that's a lot of calories or work to use up a vegetable.  Then, I went to my friend Margo's for book club and she served an eggplant dip I could slurp up with a spoon.  I've made it at home and scoop up the yummy dip with celery (another of my less than favorites).  Best of all, I can eat the entire recipe along with 8 stalks of celery (I know serious pigging here) for 250 calories and 1.6 grams of fat.  I like it so much, I'm actually looking forward to the next time we get eggplant.  Here's the recipe that made an eggplant lover out of me.

Eggplant Sichuan (a dip)

4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 eggplant
1 tsp hot pepper paste (adjust spiciness to your taste)
1 Tbs rice or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar

Cut eggplant in half, seeds down and roast in the oven until soft at 350F for about 30 min.
Scoop out eggplant pulp and discard skin.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or slightly chunky whatever you prefer.