spring is springing and we're still waiting...

feeling inspired by my bro-in-law john who has mastered handcrafted sodas at his cart, pyro pizza, and also by the bag of frozen rhubarb leftover from last spring, i decided to give this recipe a try.   i was delighted by the strong ginger flavor and liked that it was refreshing without being overly sweet! 



homemade rhubarb ginger soda
recipe from homemade pantry by alana chernila

2lbs rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups water
4 tbsp fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar or more to taste*
a few sprigs of fresh mint, thyme, or lemon balm (whatever you have on hand)

1. combine the rhubarb and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is almost dissolving.  use a slotted spoon to scoop out the rhubarb.

2. add the lime juice to the rhubarb water, along with the ginger and sugar.  raise the heat to medium high and cook at a low boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened.

3. remove it from the heat, add your herb of choice (i used mint), and cover.  let steep for 5-10 minutes.  taste and add sugar if needed.  strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a jar or bottle and let cool.
yield: 1 quart syrup

to serve: mix 1/3 cup syrup in 1 cup seltzer or club soda.  serve chilled or over ice.  sit on the porch and take in all that surrounds you!

*rather than sweetening this syrup, i added some simple syrup i had on hand when mixing my sodas and it did the trick! 



a jar of flowers in the kitchen instantly brightens my day!



 
this afternoon, after a strong and sudden spring rain, this rainbow appeared outside our kitchen window.  it was actually a double rainbow for a second.  everytime i see a rainbow, i can't help but be reminded of god's promise to noah when a rainbow appeared for the very first time in biblical days.  luke and i are holding on to god's promises, particularly as we wait to hear about a home.  we placed an offer several months ago on a short sale home, and it is still pending.  we are excited at the prospect of being in the lents neighborhood, by many of our dear ones, and are considering doing respite care for families in the foster care system.  all that to say, we are excited at the possibilities!  yet, in this season of waiting, of anxiously checking email and text TOO many times a day, hoping to hear something, anything, luke and i are realizing the good that comes in the wait.  we are realizing together how good it is for us to be in a situation where we cannot do anything to change the outcome.  it practically forces our trust and reliance on christ.  it encourages us to communicate clearly about our hopes and dreams with one another and also leads us to moments of meaningful prayer, where we can pour out all that we are hearing to the One who never tires of listening to His children.

we are crossing our fingers, praying, and hoping that this house is the one and that we find out soon, but until then, we will rest in Him and enjoy the journey.  

spring break getaway.

Over Spring Break, Luke and I headed out of town one hour to Welches, OR, minutes from Mt. Hood, where we stayed at Mogli's family cabin, right on the Salmon River.  We were by ourselves on Thursday, and then our good friends Brandon, Victoria, and Craig joined us, as well as my brother Christian.  What a well needed rest after finishing up our term of after school classes, the play, and registering for our next term.  Phew!  

 

Luke may or may not have serenaded me...

We made a tasty dinner and enjoyed cooking together.

Brandon and I sunning on the deck.

We went hiking and hoped to get to Salmon Butte, but started at the wrong spot.  Still a wonderful time of camaraderie and delighting in God's creative nature. 

 

on the trail- still enjoying my ecuadorian hat!

Breakfast on the deck- what a treat.  70 degree weather in March!

besides the bonfires, sleeping in, bike rides, sitting by the river, reading, eating, and good conversation, the highlight might have been on Easter morning when we woke up before sunrise and headed up Lolo Pass Rd. as far as we could go before the road was blocked out.  We then got to watch the sun rising upon the mountain- what a great way to bring in the day we celebrated our Savior's resurrection.  

I am so grateful for moments of rest like these and truly do cherish them.

How to: start plants indoors

{mogli, this post is for you!}

 

our "salad bowl" about three weeks after planting

as spring is upon us next week, our minds drift to visions of gardens, canning salsa, picnics in the yard, barefoot in the grass, naps in the hammock, terere, laundry on the line, and so much more.  but first things first: gardens!  living in Portland, we can't put things in the ground just yet, but we can start things indoors to transplant outside when the danger of frost has passed or after May 15th.

Luke is taking the Master Gardeners course through the OSU Extension this spring, so each week, I get to hear about all the neat things he learns about, like pruning trees and propagating herbs. :) 
before you get too ambitious, make sure you check out a vegetable planting calendar for where you live to see when you should plant certain things and which ones are good for transplanting/which ones should be sowed directly outdoors. If you're in Portland, I recommend this one from the Portland Nursery. 

after you have your planting schedule figured out, gather your supplies.

you'll need:
*potting soil (better for the seeds than dirt from your yard because it is more porous which allows more water and air to get to the seed)
*something to plant in (we've used everything from old sour cream containers to the simple black trays you can get at any nursery)
*seeds (for the pnw, we like territorial seeds because they are adjusted to our climate and are used to our growing season)

now you're ready to rock and roll.  planting is simple.  looking at the back of each seed, you will find the depth at which you should plant.  a rule of thumb is that you want to plant each seed twice its size deep in the soil.  i typically use my finger or a pencil to poke holes.  then, drop the seeds in, cover them with soil, spritz with water and voila!  we've been putting our lettuce outside during the day so that it gets used to the weather.  our tomatoes and kale, on the other hand, have been living next to our window, under a fluorescent light bulb which we're trying out to see if it helps them grow quicker. 

 

and now our fingers are crossed that we'll have a new house soon to plant this wonderful vegetable garden at!

side note/tip from my mom: in a vase of fresh tulips, stick a penny in the water and it will help them last longer.  old wive's tale?  i'm willing to try it out!

sundays are for... homemade breakfast treats!

 homemade toaster pastries aka a mix between pop tarts and toaster strudels,  only WAY better!

continuing to try out recipes from my christmas present from christian (homemade pantry by alana chernila) led me to bake these this morning.  basically pie dough stuffed with whatever filling you choose (i used strawberry jam in some and nutella in others).  warm out of the oven, they received rave reviews all around.  i love recipes that make it socially acceptable to eat dessert for breakfast!

 

Recipe: 

One recipe basic pie crust

flour for the counter

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water

6 tbsp filling of your choice

powdered sugar to top

1. prepare the pie crust in two discs according to the recipe and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but up to 2 days.

2. preheat oven to 375.  line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. roll the first disc of pie pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9x12 rectangle, cutting away any errant edges with a sharp knife.

4. cut the rectangle into 6 smaller rectangles.  gently separate the rectangles from the counter and lay them on the prepared baking sheet with at least two inches between them (they will rise!)

5. with a pastry brush, paint each rectangle with the beaten egg.  you will have some egg mixture leftover.

6. scoop 1 tbsp filling onto each rectangle in a thin line down the center.  roll out the second disc of pie pastry, repeating the steps to create six rectangles.

7. lay the new batch of rectangles over the rectangles with filling and seal by pressing a fork around the perimeter of each rectangle.  using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each pastry with egg wash and poke several times with a fork.

8. bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.  cool on a wire rack for at least 20  minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.  eat while warm for best results!

let me see your garden grow!

today, i had the pleasure of teaming up with luke on a work project at one of the apartment complexes where he works. with help of many community volunteers and residents who live there, we got these fifteen garden beds ready to plant. we dug out a lot of sod, added compost and soil to amend the existing ground, laid weed barrier fabric and newspaper under the bark chips to slow the weed growth and a team even put up the chain link fence. we also planted a bunch of native plants!

the site when we started the day...

the nearly finished result!

i had fun working alongside the kids and families, imagining what they will grow in their new garden. but boy was i ready for a nap and a back massage when we got home!

now, i get to fantasize about what our garden will hold this year. the other day, we narrowed it down to our top five things and they are: tomatoes, carrots, salad greens, snap peas, and zucchini. i'm sure we'll have some garlic, herbs, and strawberries because we can't resist. it is really hard being in transition and hoping to have a new home before we are in the thick of planting season. until then, we are planting lots in pots and will later either be able to take them with us or transplant them into our garden.

what is your favorite thing to plant now that spring is upon us?

chicago on our mind

after a long skype today with our sister hannah, I realized that I never posted pictures of our trip to Chicago about a month ago to visit her. we went for a long weekend to meet her roommates (she lives with one other woman and two guys) and see the house she is hoping to buy and use to start a powerful example of living in community. hannah is one of the most inspirational people that i know. she isn't afraid to dream big and has faith that those dreams will come true, assured of the vision that God has given her.



currently, she is dreaming of extending hospitality to her neighbors and those she comes in contact with in her neighborhood of east garfield park. she imagines people living life together and also being outward focused on those around them, digging into relationships in an authentic way that seems rare these days. i could go on and on about hannah, but i'll leave you with some pics of our trip and you can see for yourself how much she cared for us on our trip to see her in january.


deep dish pizza at gino's east- aka cheese and gluten overload!


waiting for the L


some beautiful flowers in the conservatory a few blocks from their house


we even found a banana plant!


guerrila tile mosaiac work


the lights at a yummy gyro place we ate at!


hannah cutting our hair at the salon where she works


the finished product


a rousing game of mennonite madness! one of the many moments of uncontrollable laughter during the weekend.



hannah banana, we are so proud to have you as our sister!

time to relax and what do i do?

why head for the kitchen of course... :)

here's a peek into my afternoon in the kitchen this weekend.

I painted these with simple chalkboard paint and I love how they turned out!

This is admitting one of my guiltiest pleasures- checking out cookbooks from the library. Currently reading Flour by Joanne Chang and drooling over every page.

Food processor = kitchen wonder tool. This one was assembled for us by our brother in law, all from parts he found at the Goodwill bins! (I was making bread crumbs!)

Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crips, created to be like the ones you can buy at Trader Joes. I used this recipe. They're tasty with some cream cheese on top.

Two things I can't live without in my kitchen. Misto- like Pam nonstick spray, only you fill/refill it with olive oil to grease pans, spritz on popcorn, and a myriad of other uses. We like it because we get to buy the big jug of olive oil from the Lebanese store down the street. The other tip- if you're still living in the last century like me and use paper recipes, slip them into a plastic sheet protector before you expect them to brave your kitchen. That way, they survive all the drips, spills, and splatters of your creative cooking!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy of Wendy Shaver
2 c butter (room temp)
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2c flour
2 c whole wheat flour
5 c quick oatmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
24 oz semi sweet choc chips
Opt. 2 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts
 
In a large bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend, then vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together, then add to butter mixture. Mix until moistened and blended. Mix in choc chips. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 mins. *This makes a big batch of dough, so I always bake some right away and with the leftover, I scoop it into balls, freeze it in a single layer, and then keep it in a Ziploc. This way, you can pull out however many you need and always have cookies- warm from the oven. Or you can pop a frozen dough ball after a hard day!*

why do i have such a way of making such a messy kitchen? good thing at our house, the philosophy luke aspires to is, "i cook and he cleans!"