Liquid Bliss

As many of you probably know... I'm quite the coffee lover. I'm not one of those addicts who can't function if they don't get it, but I enjoy getting it every 2-3 weeks as a treat. My favorite drinks at Starbucks have been decaf soy caramel Macchiato (if I'm in the mood for something warm), or a decaf caramel Frappuccino (if I want something cold). The only problem is that I found that the frappuccinos are SUPER unhealthy. Funny how seeing nutrition facts can make something you once enjoyed sound nasty!

Today I discovered a perfect alternative to the cold icy treat, that also has the bonus of using soy (the frap comes from a mix so they can't substitute) that tastes amazing! It's an iced venti soy decaf caramel macchiato with extra sauce. If you decide to try it you may get a confused or exasperated look from your barista while placing your order, but it's worth it. Oh, and don't forget to stir in the caramel and milk from the top... otherwise you'll get straight coffee until the very end. :P

Vegan Stroganoff

Bob and I both enjoy cooking, which has been a lot of fun. It's fun to spend time together while creating a meal that we'll enjoy together. Recently, Bob has been quite busy working for the UCC Office, and so I've done most of the cooking since I get home earlier. I realized I've fallen into a rut and have been repeating several tried and true meals. Bob's been great about it and always appreciates what I make, but I am determined to find new meals that we both like.

With both of our unique tummy needs (I already feel sorry for our future children!) it's difficult to find new meals that we can both enjoy. Yesterday as I should have been reading for class, I was thinking about what I might make for supper tonight.

One of Bob's favorite meals that his mom makes is Stroganoff made from mushroom soup, sour cream, Lipton's onion soup mix, onion, mushrooms, and dinnercuts. I felt bad because I hadn't made it for him, since I can't eat several of those ingredients. As I thought about it, I realized that I could make several substitutions and come up with something that was pretty close to his childhood favorite. Here's what I came up with. I think next time I will add a few cloves of garlic, but other than that, it was great!

Vegan Stroganoff

• 3 cups hot water
• 4 tablespoons Chef Bonneaus Instant Brown Gravy
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 packets George Washington’s Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth
• 1 block of tofu

Whiz these ingredients in a blender until smooth. Meanwhile.... sauté the following:
• 1 8-ounce package of sliced white mushrooms
• 1 sliced Portobello mushroom
• ½ onion, sliced in thin strips

When the mushrooms are soft and the onions translucent, add the liquid mixture from the blender into the sauté pan. Stir constantly until mixture begins to boil. Finally, add about 1/3 of a 12 ounce container of Toffuti sour cream and mix until it’s evened out.

Tonight we had it over rice, but it's also good over potatoes or your favorite pasta. Would also probably be good with other spices, or with your favorite veggie meat. :)

Another Open Door

God has been so good to us! This past year we've faced lots of unknowns- getting married (a good thing, but definitely an adventure!), finding a home, getting settled in a new town, and discovering what God has in store for us as far as work and school.

I have been going to school here since September, aiming at starting the OT program this summer. There are typically 60-70 applicants each year, and 30 are accepted. We have been waiting since the first of February to hear whether or not I got in, and today we got the letter- I'm in! I am ecstatic about this opportunity and truly feel that it is where God is leading me. This career will let me help others lead more fulfilling lives, and let me use the talents God has given me.

Bob has been blessed with a job at the UCC Office off and on for the past 8 months. He was first hired for 3, then for an extra month, and after the December fire, was hired back on. During the months he was not working for the conference, he has had side jobs where people have needed computer help, and God has provided for us. Bob has been promised work at the office through the end of this month. We pray that God will give us the patience to wait on Him and the wisdom to follow His will. It will be interesting to see where God leads him in his work next. :)

Visiting Grandparents in Montana

Celebrating Spring

I don't know about everyone else, but I know this is the longest winter I've ever dealt with. It's the first I've spent this far north, and it's quite different from the usually mild winters I grew up with. I am ecstatic that spring is finally here, and look forward to warmer days ahead!

Our Newest Addition!

Bob finished repairing our Durango on Monday night, so we were able to have it inspected and licensed Tuesday morning. We're quite excited about this, and look for every opportunity to go driving, as if we're teenagers again who've just gotten their licenses. :) Hopefully this will be a good vehicle for us that will last a long time!

22

Well, I have reached another landmark. Last Sabbath I turned 22. A lot has happened in the last year- getting married, moving to a new town, and starting classes at a new school. It will be fun to see what this year holds!

My birthday was very special. Bob brought me a beautiful bouquet of two-dozen mixed roses on Thursday as an early birthday/get-well soon gift. Aren't they gorgeous?After church, we spent the day at Bob's parents. We celebrated both of Bob's grandmother's birthdays last weekend too, which was very special. I felt very loved and remembered. Mom even made pumpkin pie for me (since my birthday is on National Pi day and pumpkin is my favorite!).

Double Dates

It's been hard adjusting to a new town where we do not know as many people as we did in Walla Walla. We keep ourselves busy with work and school, but it's always fun to go out with friends. In January, started a tradition of having monthly double dates with our friends Michael and Tonia. Last month we went to Triple Play and bowled, finishing the evening at Sharis with milk shakes and coffee. It's been wonderful having such good friends nearby, and we look forward to having more of these double dates (and soon to be double +1!!) in the future. :)

Pizza!

Pizza has always been one of my weaknesses. For the past several years I've been morphing my pizza recipe from a book I got. It's changed a lot and now it is almost perfect- complete with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, olives, and pineapple. I'm still working on the perfect crust- let me know if you have a favorite recipe for it!

Our Home

I think the first time I promised this blog was sometime back in August. I've finally gotten around to it! Yesterday I took a bunch of pictures, and now I get to share them with you! We recently purchased a couch from craigslist.com and it completes our living room nicely!

We used our entertainment center to divide the kitchen from the rest of the living area. We have a projector connected to the computer so we can watch movies our our "big screen". :)
Our walls may appear a bit sparse, but what can you do in a rental that doesn't put any holes in the wall??
Our kitchen. The front door is to the left. This last picture is of the hallway leading to the two bedrooms, the laundry closet, the bathroom, and the garage. But that's for another time. ;)

We got a Durango!

This morning, Bob watched the Insurance Auto Auction online that was taking place in Seattle. We've been watching for reasonably-priced vehicles on craigslist.com and at the auction to get a feel for what we're looking for.

When Bob picked me up from class this afternoon, he surprised me by telling me that we were the owners of a 2000 Dodge Durango! It will require some minor body work, but Bob is already figuring out what it will take to fix it. It's just what we've been looking for! We're very excited. Here is a picture of a durango that is the same year and color:

Eating Healthy

One of my goals for the new year has been to make a greater effort to make healthy, tasty meals. I had a blast over the summer finding new recipes and trying them out. Since school has started, my enthusiasm has wavered a bit. I still love cooking- it's actually a stress reliving, relaxing activity to me when I'm not rushed.

One of my favorite recipes I've found is for these burgers. It comes from a recipe book called The Candle Cafe Cookbook. These burgers are oat and veggie-meat free, so my poor tummy likes them. The could also be made to be gluten-free if you don't put in the flour/bread crumbs.

Brown Rice and Lentil Burgers:

• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• bread crumbs or white flour (for helping it stick together if needed)

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils, reduce the heat, and cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is just tender, about 40 minutes.
   
3. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic, and onion until lightly browned.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. In a large bowl, combine lentils, rice, and sauted items. Add some bread crumbs/flour to hold the mixture together, if needed. Make into burger-sized patties and place on a baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.

Let me know what you think about them if you try out this recipe!

An Update

Wow, the last few weeks have been flying by so quickly! It is hard for me to believe that we're nearing the end of the first week of February already!

With the new year, I decided that my blog needed a face lift. Maybe this look will go better with the title too. :)

This quarter has been quite busy for me. I was able to sign up for 19 credits instead of the intimidating 20 that I had anticipated. I am taking Theories of Personality, Intro to Literature, Global Issues, and Art in the Humanities. My homework seems to come in waves, and thankfully I'm at a low for now- hence the time for this blog!

Bob has been working hard with his dad setting up the new UCC Office. He's already put in a day of overtime this week, so he gets today off. He is such a dedicated worker, and I'm very proud of him. :)

Last Friday, I submitted my application to EWU's OT program. I should be hearing back from them in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll get in! But God knows what is best. :)

Well... it's about time for me to run for my 1pm class. Hope all of you are doing well.

Cold weather pictures

Well... so far I am surviving my first winter in our new home. It has been an adjustment getting used to all of the cold weather, and I will be very grateful when the warmer weather comes in the spring. Instead of hating the frigid temperatures, I decided to go out and try to capture all the beauty that this cold weather brings:

Charlie

My cousin Montana posted this video from youtube on his facebook account, and I liked it so much I had to watch it over and over. It is so adorable, and it's incredible how patient this older brother is! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Winter Wonderland

It's been snowing constantly since early yesterday morning, and it's really been adding up! This morning we woke up and looked outside and the entire landscape was changed. I think this is the most snow this Portland-grown girl has every seen- 16 inches and still falling! You couldn't tell where the sidewalk ended and where the street began, let alone where the sidewalk was!

After breakfast this morning, Bob and I bundled up and went outside. I had fun taking a walk in the knee-deep snow, while Bob diligently shoveled first our sidewalk, and then all of our neighbor's sidewalks on our block. Later today, we're planning on making a trip into "town" to get stuff for the next few days- looks like we won't be going too far in the next few days! Hope all of you are staying safe and warm as well. :)

Snow at Hayden Lake

Thursday afternoon, Bob and I drove up to Michael and Tonia's for a long weekend. We've had a wonderful time up here relaxing away from the business of every day life. It's taken me a couple days, but my stress level is finally lowered, and I've been able to relax after finals.

Friday it began snowing, as I know it has in many places. It was fun to watch the snow fall as I looked out the window at the lake. Although it hasn't snowed a lot (about an inch), it's very cold outside! It's about 2-3 degrees right now, and it's supposed to get even colder tonight!

Here are some pictures that Michael took for us on Sabbath:

Our First Christmas Tree

On Saturday night, Bob and I went with his parents to pick out Christmas trees. Bob's family has a tradition of purchasing trees from "Jim and Carla's Christmas Trees". They go out every year and bring back fresh trees from Montana to sell. They're really nice because they're not groomed like most trees you would find on a Christmas Tree farm. We chose a tree that was a little too big, so Bob had to cut it down to size. After we had finished decorating our tree, we sat down and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" together next to the tree. It was so much fun!

Thanksgiving

It's hard for me to believe that it's already December! The last couple of months have really flown by. Today I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures from our Thanksgiving festivities. Unfortunately, Eric and Kandice were not able to come home, but we're looking forward to later this month when we'll all be together. :)
These pictures are from our family's Thanksgiving meal on Thursday before the big family meal at Matt and Judy's house in McMinneville on Sabbath.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from church, but it was a very special Sabbath. The family went to Hopewell SDA Church. Mom, Laura, Bob, and I led the song service, and Laura gave a sermon on her mission trip last spring to the Philippines. Afterwards we went to Matt and Judy's and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Following the meal, we took a walk and then played charades. The following picture is from the charade that Grandpa, Laura, and I did when King Solomon threatened to divide the baby the two women were fighting over to see who the real mother was. Later today, I'll post a blog on our Christmas tree adventure. :)