Trip to Friday Harbor

Last weekend, Mackenzie and I drove two hours north to Anacortes and took an hour-long ferry ride to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

We were starving when we arrived, so we quickly sought out a place to eat. We decided on the Blue Water Bar and Grill for some delicious fish and chips--some of the best I've ever had.

We then spent the day driving around the island, stopping at various lookouts and beaches along the way, including Lime Kiln, which claims to be the best place in the world to see Orcas. (The Orcas follow the salmon out to sea and back, so unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen, but we hope to do a whale watch sometime in the near future.)

After getting our fill of the island (including a stop to see Mona the camel at the San Juan Vineyard), we checked in to our room at the Friday Harbor House. The view was gorgeous--literally one block off the water near the ferry terminal. We then went to dinner at Pazzo Vivo for some delicious pizza and mediocre live music.

The next day, after enjoying an impressive continental breakfast (homemade scones, granola, yogurt, and fruit), we spent some more time exploring the shops and sites in Friday Harbor, including a few bookstores and the San Juan Coffee Roasting Company. We then caught the midday ferry and had lunch in Anacortes at Adrift Cafe.

We were blessed to have two beautiful days of weather, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch (except that a good portion of our pictures didn't turn out, but more on that later). We've already talked about going back with my parents in mid-March, depending on the weather.

I couldn't get the Flickr slideshow to embed, but you can find more pictures HERE.

Crock Pot Recipe: Taco Soup

Up until about a year ago, I'd never really made taco soup, but my friend Sarah makes a great one! Having it at her house inspired me to give it a try. This is one that we enjoy.

Taco Soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 medium onion, diced
1 (16 z) can pinto beans (Sometimes I put in red kidney beans instead.)
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I usually use Bud Light or Corona.)
2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen, so they stay moist
2 cups frozen corn (I usually just dump in what looks good to me.)

Taste to see if you'd like to add:
salt and/or pepper
Tabasco
jalapenos

Optional Toppings:
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Place all the ingredients in the crock pot with the exception of the corn. Stir. Turn the crock pot to low and set for approximately 6-8 hours. After 6-8 hours, shred the chicken with two forks and add the corn. (I usually shred and add the corn when I get home from work and then we usually eat about an hour or so later, so the corn has a change to cook but not become mush.)

Taste it to determine if other seasonings are needed. Serve with the optional toppings for an easy and delicious dinner...one of our favorites.

picture credit: allrecipes.com

Seed Sowing

Last week, I planted one square of spinach (nine seeds) and two squares of peas (eight seeds each). The spinach will be ready to harvest beginning in April--by far one of the earliest crops.
Earlier this week, I also planted six squares of onions (a whopping sixteen seeds each) and one square of lettuce (nine seeds). The lettuce will be ready around the same time as the spinach, but the onions take about sixteen weeks, so they won't be ready until late June. Whereas we're staggering the spinach and lettuce squares, we planted the onions all at once because they take so long to grow and they're easy to store.

To make planting easier, I created a sort of jig to ensure even spacing.

I then added a pinch of vermiculite to each hole. It acts as a sponge to absorb water and also makes it easier for the seeds to sprout through the surface.

As you can see, the onion seeds are rather tiny, so it was no simple feat to place one in each hole, but single-seed sowing avoids having to thin the veggie beds later. Plus, then we don't waste any seeds. I'll be interested to see what percentage of seeds actually sprout and survive.

Award Winning Moment...

You might think this sweet little face is incapable of causing any trouble. Well, that is if you haven't formally been introduced. Our sweet, little Gunner (Gunnie to me and Gunboat to my dad) has had his fair share of moments you might call "mishaps."

At the end of a recent Friday, my team at work held a video contest. (It had been a rough week - we needed a light moment!) Our challenge was to bring the funniest video we could find that was under 2 minutes in length. Upon hearing this challenge, I knew instantly my video of choice. I did not need to search You Tube or think back to my favorite SNL episodes. A video known in our house as "Gunner's Marley Moment" was the perfect choice. It is a must see!

I am proud to announce that I did in fact win the contest and my prize was a "teacher" necklace complete with school houses, ABCs, and pencils. A fine treasure!

Cloche Building

A few weeks ago, after reading Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew, I measured, cut, and stapled pieces of string to form our grid of one foot by one foot plots. My hope was that this would inadvertently keep Gunner out of the veggie beds as well--no such luck.

So I then used five-foot-long stakes to construct what will eventually be a trellis for our peas, beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I also attached two shorter stakes at the opposite corners and wrapped two levels of twine all the way around the veggie beds. Mackenzie said it looked like a boxing ring, but my hope was that this, in addition to the grid, would keep Gunner out--wrong again.

In thinking through the best way to Gunner-proof our beds, I decided to try building a cloche. This would also help keep the birds out, and allow us to regulate the amount of water the seeds/plants get.

We first tried to simply drape some pieces of plastic over the existing "boxing ring" structure, but after a few straight days of rain, despite the slope from the five-foot-high stakes to the much shorter stakes, the plastic collapsed, causing one of the stakes to snap.

So we made another trip to Home Depot, and found some ten-foot-long, thin and flexible PVC pipe, as well as some metal brackets. We attached one side of the pipe to the outside of the veggie bed and then arced it over to the other side. I wasn't sure how much tension the pipe or brackets would be able to withstand, but the first attempt went off without a hitch.

The only problem was that the pipe was so long, it made the veggie bed look like a covered wagon--not much of an improvement from the boxing ring. So I took about a foot off the pipe, tried again, and then decided to take about another six inches off. Pleased with the results, we cut and fit all the other pipes, draped the plastic over, and stood back to admire our finished cloche.

The plastic at each end isn't tied down or attached, so Gunner could still potentially get in and make a mess, but if he does, I just might lose it. We don't need another "Marley and Me" moment.

Spring has Sprung!

It's hard to believe that so many signs of spring are popping up in our front yard!

It is only February.

Crock Pot Recipe: Apricot Glazed Chicken

Apricot Glazed Chicken

(adapted from Pennies on a Platter)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of Catalina salad dressing (or French)

1 cup apricot jam or jelly

1 packet onion soup mix (I use Lipton.)

1 white onion, sliced

Put all the above ingredients in your crock pot and stir to coat the chicken and onions with the sauce. Turn to low and set for 6 hours.

Serve chicken over rice with a side of broccoli. Enjoy!

picture from Pennies on a Platter

2010 Book #3: From Clutter to Clarity

From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg

I consider myself to be a pretty organized and “clutter free” person. I like to use my label maker (yes, I have one!), buy bins and labels at The Container Store, take donations to Goodwill frequently, and enjoy the yearly “clean out” of my kitchen cabinets.

Despite my self-proclaimed “amazing” organizational skills (ha), the book From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg appealed to me. I added this book to my Reading List for 2010, because I thought it would be an interesting read and it came recommended from a blogger I enjoy. I didn’t think I would learn much, but that it would have some good reminders and be a check-up; boy was I was wrong.

Nancy Twigg states her definition of clutter as “anything that complicates your life and prevents you from living in peace as you live out your purpose (p.15).” My purpose is to live for Jesus, honoring him with my marriage, home, family, job, money, time, etc.

In her book, Nancy outlines three big areas where clutter can impact our lives: thoughts and attitudes, lifestyle, and money matters. After praying and searching my heart, these are some of the areas that “clutter” my life and take my focus off of Jesus:
· Comparing myself and possessions to others
· Over committing – saying yes, when I should say no
· Shopping – the desire for “stuff” that we do not need
· Technology – a time waster (facebook, my Google Reader, etc.)

This book challenged me to examine the ways in which I am allowing distractors into my mind, our home, and our lives. I am praying about how to eliminate some of the clutter in my life and talking with Cliff about boundaries that would be helpful to establish. My desire is for my life and home to honor God through clarity rather than living life distracted by clutter or being so bogged down by the stuff that I lose track of my real purpose.

I would encourage you to read this book and examine your own life. What gets in the way of you fulfilling your God given purpose? What is the clutter in your life that needs to, by God’s grace, be removed?

I’m thinking about and praying over these verses:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12: 1-2

Off to Friday Harbor

For Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Cliff and I decided to give each other a night or two out of town rather than trying to figure out what to buy each other! So, tomorrow we’re heading to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Cliff has been up to the San Juans with his family when we were still in college, but I’ve never been.

One of our very favorite things to do is explore new places, so this is the perfect adventure for us. We’re looking forward to a beautiful room at Friday Harbor House, delicious food, exploring a new town, taking the ferry, and leaving the “to do” lists for a couple of days. If the weather is anything like the sunny 50 degrees we’ve enjoyed the past few days, it will be an amazing treat.

We’ll post pictures soon and share our adventure!

Crock Pot Recipe: Black Bean Chicken

Lately, I've been using my crock pot a lot. I just love how easy it is and when I get home, dinner is already made!

Because I'm a faithful crock pot user, I thought I'd share some recipes that I make over and over again with success. This is an all time favorite at our house. The basic recipe is below and I've added some additional info in parentheses.


Black Bean Chicken
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen.)
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning (I use a hot taco seasoning packet.)

Put all the ingredients in your crock pot and stir. Set to low for 6 - 8 hours. After about 6 hours, the chicken should be fork tender. Shred the chicken. Serve in warm tortillas with all the "fixins"!

Serves 4 adults. (You'll likely have leftovers.)

Other additional ingredients you may choose to toss in your crock pot: corn, canned green chilies, jalapenos, red pepper, onion, etc. Be creative!