Celebrating Us!

I can hardly believe that Holly and I are fast approaching our 10th wedding anniversary. It seems just like yesterday that we got married. Yet, at the same time, it feels like we've always been a part of each others lives. The best thing that ever happened in my life, was meeting Holly. She has been a constant source of kindness and goodness not only in the course of my life, but in the course of many other's lives. Holly has helped me to be less selfish, and generally more concerned about others needs. Every-time I'm around Holly's Mom, I think, "This is Holly is 40 more years, and what a perfect thing to look forward to!" I love Carolyn and Rolland for raising such a fine daughter. With Rolland's unexpected death, the role of Mother and Father both shifted to Carolyn. You have four amazing children Mom! It's a privilege to be part of your family.

As in any marriage, Holly and I have had our many joys and triumphs, as well as a challenge here and there. Through it all, our love and commitment to each other grows stronger and stronger, as the weeks, days, months and years continue to cruise by. I'm very much looking forward to growing old with you! Walkers with tennis balls, swearing and all.

I wanted to share some highlights and details over the past 10 years we've had together...

1999:
A perfect November wedding. We were sealed for time and all eternity in the LDS Salt Lake City temple. We had a formal dinner celebration with our family and close friends at the Memorial House, up Memory Grove behind the Utah State Capital building. The weather was sunny, extremely cold, and the decor was white light filled pine trees with gorgeous calla lilies and gerber daisies in reds, oranges and yellows. It was a prefect way to celebrate the start of our lives together. We flew to Washington, DC and Williamsburg, VA for our honeymoon. It was my first trip east of Denver at the time.

2000:
At the time I was working in the banking and financial services industry. The big scare at the time was the expected "total and complete meltdown of the worlds computer systems" with the "Y2K" glitch. Talk about overhype! Subsequently, I was not able to take time off for Christmas that year. Holly flew down to SLC to spend time with her and my family. I flew in late in the afternoon on the 24th, to then turn around and fly back to Seattle on the 25th. It was our first trip apart. We decided then and there that being with family is important, but being with each other is far more important. It's been the foundation for all our planning ever since. What makes best sense for the both of us is the rule in everything.

2001:
Holly and I made plans to go to NYC and stay in the World Trade Center Marriott from 9/6-9/13 that year for vacation. We had miles to cash out for the airfare and miles to offset hotel expenses. About four weeks before our scheduled trip, we both felt very strongly that we wanted to visit Chicago instead of NYC. So, at the last minute we changed our plans. Looking back on that now, had we been in NYC for that particular vacation, one or both of us might not be alive. Is still sort of freaks me out when I see the trip details we had for NYC that year which would have put us in the middle of all the chaos. The WTC Marriott was badly damaged in the 9/11 attacks. I feel like our lives were preserved for a larger cause, much bigger than what we probably can comprehend at this time in our lives. During the chaos of the attack on the country, we had our misfortunes in Chicago trying to ultimately get back to Seattle. It was an interesting time for us, as well as many others that year.

2002:
I finished my undergrad degree. The first few years of our marriage we hardly saw each other. I was working full time, and going to school full time at nights. The light was finally at the end of the tunnel and I graduated. That year also brought many firsts for us. Our first trip overseas to London and the U.K. to celebrate graduation from college. The purchase of our first home, as well as the both of us owning for the first time in our lives a brand new car right off the lot. Fun to look back on those memories.

2003:
Holly and I both continued working hard in our career paths. My job in corporate at Washington Mutual continued to get stressful. I was working so many hours, and doing traveling back and forth to Los Angeles. The bank continued buying out other banks and consolidating operations. Week to week you never knew if your department was going to be all laid off. Holly and I were able to continue enjoying time at home, and time away. We got to explore San Francisco in detail that year. I had never been before. She joined me on a bank conference. 2003 was also the year we decided that we were ready to be parents. Something we thought would be easy, but later on found out would be challenging for us.

2004:
I got laid off from Washington Mutual after many years of hard work. At the time, I felt like it was the end of the world. I felt many mixed signals as a few weeks before I got a nice merit recognition for being a top performer etc, than got a pink slip. I felt devastated. I had never been laid off before. Holly helped me realize that it wasn't the end of the world and I'd quickly land on my feet and be better off. Shortly after my layoff, I got a job offer at a local bank, and landed on my feet better than I did at WaMu. Holly helped me see the bigger picture.

2005:
I have many fun memories this year with Holly. We spent an extended period of time traveling all over Italy. We both were asked to spearhead some major church undertakings that year. We both grew a lot from these assignments and opportunities and I feel like our faith, and spiritual commitments to each other, as well as God's other children we interact with grew and continue to grow.

2006:
Holly and I discussed this year the need for me to transition from banking and financial services into something more stable. This is when I left the industry and moved over to Health Care marketing, media relations and community relations. My Mom also died this year, and Holly and I had some very in depth discussions about families, our parents, our religious faith and the knowledge that we both both feel, we'll get to see our deceased relatives again. Holly was and continues to be an amazing source of comfort to me during the loss of my mother, and the subsequent experiences I have when I find myself really missing her presence. Holly's Mom also amazingly stepped in during my sorrow with my own mother, and our friendship grew in leaps and bounds during this trial in my life. The Finlayon's are an amazing family, hands down! Carolyn, Holly, my sister Rebecca and I, were able to take a temple trip down to Manti, just a few days after my Mother passed away and enjoy the serenity of being in the temple as family.

2007:
Holly and I continued to serve in various assignments at church, as well as continuing to enhance our careers. We have our busy times and our down times at work, but we did treat ourselves to just under three weeks in Africa this year. This was our first "nature" vacation together and we're both dying to get back. The safaris, the locals, the surroundings. Africa was a mesmerizing place for both of us. We'll never forget this experience we had together.

2008:
Holly and I made our decision to adopt as a means of expanding our family and the desire to both want to parent. After exhausting other resources, we felt this was the right plan for us. We started our very exhaustive process of applying for an international adoption from China. We have two lovely nieces from China. After considering many options, we decided to move forward with China as well. We look forward to sharing our life with a child. She'll join two amazing families who have a history of fun, love and many experiences. Holly and I, also enjoyed two weeks in France with good friends of ours. Paris and the French countryside is amazing. And spending time in this amazing place with Holly was a major highlight for me that year.

2009:
10 years flies by. The clock "officially" started ticking for out adoption in March of this year. We continue to look for our next home. The home we want to raise our family in, in the right neighborhood, the right school district, and all those grown up things we get to consider. We're looking forward to being back in Williamsburg, VA to celebrate out 10th wedding anniversary.

So Holly, thanks for sharing your life with me. We've had, and will continue to have amazing times together. I love you more, and more as the months and years go by. We continue to laugh and cry together, as well as cook, clean and love our home and life we are making together. I love you with all my heart!

Yours Forever,
Dan

Easy Homemade Suckers

Since so many people have asked via email for the recipe to make homemade lollipops, or suckers as I call them, I thought I'd post the recipe. The flavor combinations are endless. For our recent autumn open house, we made orange cream suckers with red and yellow food coloring. We also made root beer suckers. The root beer essential oil/extract naturally turns the candy brown. You don't need to add any food coloring.

Homemade Suckers

1 C sugar
1/2 C water
1/3 C corn syrup
1/4 tsp essential oil flavoring
Food coloring

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook to hard crack (300°F.). Check your thermometer first, to make sure it is accurate with water boiling at your altitude, as this burns easily after 300°F. I use a Taylor candy thermometer and it always turns out perfectly.

Remove from heat. Add flavoring and food coloring. Stir and pour into greased sucker molds arranged on a greased cookie sheet or a marble slab. This recipe makes approximately 10-12 suckers.

For fruit flavored lollipops, double the amount of essential oil used. Recipe can be easily doubled.

This way for soup!

Well, it is fall and that means that we've been preparing for our annual open house and soup party. This is a tradition that Dan brought to our relationship from his family, where his mom would make tons of soup and bread bowls to share with all the kids and their friends. So we've carried on with this tradition for the past 10 years of our marriage, with only a few exceptions due to sickness or moving.





This past weekend was the big event. We had 40 or so people at our home to enjoy Dan's culinary expertise in the form of 4 lovely soups. 1- beef stew (2 batches) 2- potato leek (my fav) 3- clam chowder (everyone else's fav) 4- chicken noodle.




While Dan slaves away in the kitchen making soup. I get the house ready with flowers, and prepping the dessert table.



I love this photo. This year we decide to make homemade suckers (root beer and orange cream), bringing one of my family traditions to the party. Growing up we didn't make homemade suckers, but we bought dum dums and decorated them with a white napkin and black yarn bow making little ghosts.



We also did spiced nuts in little orange boxes with stickers. I really enjoyed making the stickers and packaging up all the goodies.





We decorated our yard with our big teracotta pumpkins, tin can pumpkins, owl lanterns and ball jars with tea lights.






I think everyone had a good time.



Plus we just have good friends.
Thanks everybody!

Cayenne Spiced Nuts

We recently had our annual autumn open house. A tradition Holly and I have, is to make some home made party favors for everyone. I've been making this spiced nut recipe for years, based loosely off a recipe I got out of Gourmet Magazine. They have quite a bite.

Cayenne Spiced Nuts:

4 C Mixed Nuts
2 T Butter
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
4 T Honey
1 tsp Salt
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Few cracks of black pepper

Melt butter, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar. Pour over nuts and mix thoroughly to combine. Remove nuts with slotted spoon to a baking sheet. You don't want the extra sauce on the nuts, it clumps up rock solid when baked. Roast nuts in a 375 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, or until desired doneness, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool and break up with your hands.

I'm Sold on Multi-V

As I get older, I'm realizing that I can't "chug" lemonade the way I use to. I could drink lemonade everyday, but my body does need to the calories or sugar, or the acid from it. Whenever Holly and I go grocery shopping a treat from time to time for me is lemonade. As I continue to really watch my eating habits and the quality and choice of food or drink I consume, I was pretty happy that Vitamin Water makes a low cal version of lemonade, called "multi-v with zinc." The whole bottle only has 10 calories and only 4g of carbs and 3g of sugar, compared to regular lemonade which typically has in excess of 36g of sugar per one cup serving. I will definitely be picking this up going forward at the grocery store or Costco to have on hand.

Squeak, Oink, Baaah

Okay, I don't really know the noise a hedgehog makes, but I'm going with squeak. Here is the latest batch of onesies I made for my new nephew, complete with hedgehog, pig and sheep.




So I decided I had to come up with some other designs for baby onesies besides the flowers I've done before (see earlier posts here and here) since so many people keep having boys. I found some images online and traced them on the fabric with an erasable marker. For the hedgehog I outlined the face and legs with a split stitch then filled in the body with french knots.



Since piggies are smooth I kept it simple using the split stitch all the way around.



And finally for the sheep (which is my favorite) I used french knots for the body and straight stitches to fill in the face. I had started the face so it had a nose and mouth but it looked lame, and well kind of scary, so I filled it in with straight stitches. Luckily you can't really tell looking at the finished product.

The End Of Our Seasonal Harvest

I think Holly is pretty excited that I have finally decided that I've done enough canning this season, and the canner can be put away until next Summer! I've had a great time making jar after jar of jams, bottled fruit, tomato sauce, fruit butters, salsa, pickles and bbq sauce to name a few. I have definitely learned some new things this year to make. Some great triumphs and a few mishaps all in the name of fun and learning. I've had an enjoyable time doing home food production and storage. We most definitely will enjoy these offering over the next several months.



My last canning project for this season, was prepping and canning some locally grown organic pears.




Prepping for water bath processing with a light sugar syrup.



Post water bath processing yielded 8 pints of fresh fruit for winter to add to our food storage. All I need is some good low fat cottage cheese to enjoy with these pair halves. These will make lots of breakfasts for us.

Candlelight Carols & Chamber Music

I'll admit, if I had my way, the Christmas season would last much longer than just the last few weeks at the end of each calendar year. I love everything that the Christmas season offers. From thinking of others, to recommitting yourself to do good in the communities in which we live and work. But most importantly, to reflect on the memories we have with our families and good friends, with the pivotal purpose of Christmas being the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and his Atonement for all mankind.

I really, REALLY like the John Rutter Christmas Album with the Cambridge Singers and London Sinfonia that I just ordered. I didn’t realize it, buy my parents have these LP’s with some of these songs. I remember all these songs as a child. The record must have had a different cover, and as a kid I’m sure I didn’t equate that it was John Rutter arrangements. I became acquainted with John Rutter in High School choir concerts when I sang in multiple holiday performances. We sang a lot of his Christmas music.

I’m a little teary eyed listening to this in my office today, thinking about Christmas with my Mom and Dad, the memories and smells of my childhood home and all the numerous amazing things I associate with this time of year. I'm grateful Holly and I have such fond memories of our parents and families during the holidays. As Holly mentioned to me in email, "it makes me long for the day when we can make the same kind of memories for our children." This is why Holly and I love this time of year, and why we love Christmas music so much.

A Pig in Provence

I recently finished up the book, “A Pig in Provence,” by Georgeanne Brennan. I really love food writing and the experiences people have and associate with creating family traditions around food. I would highly recommend this book. My biggest dream would be to have my own [small] farm somewhere, where I could be self sustaining and grow all my own veggies and herbs, chickens etc. Her family stories in Provence are phenomenal, and I can’t wait to try the recipes included in this book.

24 Jars of Yumminess

Friday evening was a labor of love, as I decided to get out my 20qt stock pot out and make a rather *large* batch of homemade marinara sauce.



Heating oil to saute the veggies.



Lots of Walla Walla sweet onions.



Lots of sweet carrots.



Lots of Red and Green bell peppers.



Lots of fresh herbs. Oregano, Parsley and Basil.



Lots and LOTS of tomatoes.



I stewed it all down for about two hours and then started prepping jars for water bath processing.



Prepping one of many batches for the canner.



A mixture of dry spices and herbs get added and I continued to reduce for another hour.



Holly and I, prefer our marinara less chunky and more uniform in texture. I pureed this all down with my immersion blender until it was all consistently dispersed. When it was all said and done, I had 24 jars of homemade marina to enjoy for the next several months until I can again next summer and fall.

I adapted this recipe from my cousin and aunt. I've added a few more seasonings and sugar, and omitted a few ingredients such as olives, mushrooms and zucchini.

Marinara Sauce
Dan Craven

In a large 16-20qt stock pot combine:

2 c Green peppers, chopped
2 c Onion, chopped
2 c Celery, chopped
2 c Carrot, chopped
2 c Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 c Fresh Basil
20 lbs Tomatoes
6 Bay Leaves
4 cloves garlic
½ c Olive Oil, best quality

Simmer vegetables for 1 1/2 hours. After vegetables have simmered add spices.

3 Tbs Chili Powder
3 Tbs Salt
6 Tbs Sugar
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Rosemary
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Sage
2 tsp Cumin seed
2 tsp Fennel Seed

Cook and simmer for 2 to 5 hrs on low heat to reduce sauce and evaporate the water; the thicker the sauce, the better the finished product. Pack in sterile jars and water process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Process 35 minutes for half pints
Process 45 minutes for pints
Process 55 minutes for quarts

Suggestions:

I bottle it in pints. You can also finely process everything in the Cuisinart if you don't like large chunks in it at all.

Without God, There Would Be No Mortality or Eternal Life to Embrace.

I really enjoyed the talk Elder Robert D. Hales gave at the recent semi-annual LDS General Conference last weekend. The darkness of secularism and atheism is deep around everyone, and those of us that choose to be religious are often attacked in the world for their various beliefs. So many nations have been founded on religious freedom, and yet, so quickly forget that. How sad to think that your life would end at the grave? And that you would not be with your loved ones forever? I respect individual viewpoints and choices others share.

The promise of eternal life with our loved ones can be ours if we simply follow God's commandments. Making the necessary steps in your life to follow God, obey his teachings and obtain the necessary ordinances and covenants in your life can be obtained to help us return to his presence. As God's children, why would we not want to strive for this in our personal lives? God has loved us throughout all the ages of time. He's always provided us a prophet to be his mouthpiece on the earth. These modern times that we live in, are no different that the meridian of time, or the ancient times surrounding Adam, Noah and Isaac.

I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has restored his church on the earth, with living prophets and apostles who are his mouth piece to help us along the way. It takes effort for one to exercise faith in God and in the eternities, however we can pray and know for a surety for ourselves. I've prayed and believe this for myself. Knowing I can be with Holly forever and my family and friends who make the same efforts, is the greatest blessing God has given to me, to all of us.

Anxiously Waiting...

For two of my many favorite things! What is this, might you ask? Another Tori Amos CD with traditional and new Christmas music. Who would have thought? Tori Amos Minter Graces will release on 11/10/2009.



CD Release info:

After nearly two decades writing and recording some of her generation’s most emotionally powerful music, Tori Amos will release her first seasonal album, Midwinter Graces, on November 10 via Universal Republic. A follow up to Tori’s critically acclaimed studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Midwinter Graces will find Tori reworking and expanding on classic carols as well as developing some of her very own seasonal tracks.

Midwinter Graces is an album that has been in the making for the past 40 years. Raised in the Baltimore area under the watchful eye of her Methodist minister father, Tori grew up playing holiday carols at Sunday services and Christmas Day celebrations in her father’s church. These were the songs that gave a young Tori her first taste of music, and now almost 40 years later Tori gets her own chance to reimagine the classics.

Midwinter Graces Tracklist:

What Child, Nowell
Star of Wonder
A Silent Night with You
Candle: Coventry Carol
Holly, Ivy, and Rose
Harps of Gold
Snow Angel
Jeanette, Isabella
Pink and Glitter
Emmanuel
Winter’s Carol
Our New Year

Happy Birthday Mom!

I always thought that with time, it would be easier to get use to not having my Mother around physically any more. Well that isn’t true! I’ve learned to cope with it better as the months and years have gone by. I find myself really missing my Mom at Mother’s Day and the date of her death in July. But I find myself missing her immensely in October at her Birthday on the 9th. The arrival of autumn and the upcoming holiday season was always so important to Mom. She just finished up the canning season, and all the fruits of her labors were squirreled away into storage or the root cellar to feed her eight children during the cold winter months. All while gearing up for the many sewing, confection making, quilting and other homemade projects for the pending Christmas season.



I have amazing memories of autumn and Mom, helping with canning, making trips to Idaho to pick up hundreds of pounds of potatoes and onions for the root cellar. The smells of her cooking and creating in the kitchen will always be a part of my life. The smells of my childhood, the holidays and all the family memories associated with Mom. I have found solace in my own kitchen as I get older creating memories of my own with Holly. This solace primarily because I enjoy cooking, but secondarily because I feel close to my Mom, the lessons she taught me, the good food she created and shared, and the constant laughter we all shared with her and other family members who have passed on. This is the time of year where I miss her so much I selfishly want her to still be around. It is where I rely heavily on my conviction and faith, which I do honestly believe that I will see her again because of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We will all be united as families, as families do exist beyond the grave. I believe this with all my being!



So this week I want to say "Happy Birthday Mom!" Also to many, known as Grandma, Aunt Sherry, Dear Friend & Sister. While we can’t physically celebrate with you on your birthday, I am thinking about you in a lot of ways. As I finish my own canning season full of projects for my own home, and gear up for candy making this holiday season with your other children, you are at the very forefront of my thoughts. I miss you lots.

I Love You Dearly! Happy Birthday!

Our Traditional Pizza & Movie Night

We had a very nice, and relaxing weekend this past weekend down on the WA State Pacific beaches. We were able to enjoy a condo time share down in Ocean Park, WA with Steve, Kelly & Miles. We futzed around Ocean Park, Oysterville and Long Beach towns. We also were able to enjoy LDS General Conference via podcast. We made it home in record time. After a nap, Holly and I decided that homemade pizza sounded good for dinner. We have a tradition of making pizza and enjoying movies, curled up on the couch in blankets and pajamas.



I caramelized some sweet onions, and cooked that down with smoked ham, sun dried tomatoes, some cremini mushrooms and olives. I seasoned up the mixture liberally with herbs. I love a good combination pizza.



I made some dough, and after a 30 minute rise, patted it down into some oiled cookie sheets. I docked the inside so it wouldn't rise to much. We both like crunchier, thinner style crusts, than thick, bready crusts for the most part.



Prepping the pizzas for a hot oven. Holly is a cheese and herb only girl. She finished her's off with some fresh rosemary clipped from the herb garden and a generous helping of feta cheese to give it some bite. I put feta on mine as well.



The combination pizza, fresh from the oven, and sliced. I'll have ample supply for lunches this week.



The cheese pizza, fresh from the oven. We had an enjoyable evening relaxing after a long drive from the beach. Pizza and pajamas were the perfect accompaniment to watching Coraline last night.

I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light. I've adjusted mine to include more salt. In fact I include double what it calls for. I've included the basic recipe below. I also use honey instead of sugar for sweetening.

Cooking Light Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
26.1 ounces (about 5 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
Cooking spray

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Weigh or lightly spoon 24.9 ounces (about 5 1/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1.19 ounces (about 1/4 cup) flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Allow dough to rise 30 minutes. Divide in half and press into two greased cookie sheets. Dock liberally with fork. Partially cook dough in oven for 10 minutes at 385 degrees. Remove from heat and brush a little olive oil onto the heated dough. Arrange sauces and toppings. Cook for 12 minutes and turn pizzas in the oven. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until desired brownness.

Feeling like a kid again...

Okay, Dan usually packs my lunch for me while I finish getting ready for the day (he is such a good husband). Anyway, today he packed this tiny little can of goodness for me to enjoy as a treat.



I totally felt like a little kid proudly holding my can and showing my co-workers. Of course most of them just looked at me dumbfounded since it wasn't an organic drink :) But I think it's safe to say they could see my inner 8 year old beaming that someone loved me enough to give me something fun!