Adoption Update

Not much progress as of late, other than the disappointing news that our wait time with China has increased yet again. Our 36 months wait time, has now increased to more than likely 51+ months. Oh well, all in the Lord's time I suppose. We have no control over any of this. Holly and I look forward to our chance to parent someday, and will be ecstatic once we have a child to call our own. We will definitely spoil her, and probably get a Corgi as well at that point to keep her company.

Understanding An Eater's Manifesto

I can honestly say, that reading all the Michael Pollan books as of late, have really helped change the way I approach nutrition, health, wellness, and sustainable eating. While he does not necessarily promote veganism, vegetarianism or even organic over conventional eating habits, he promotes being informed. In that aspect his books have been highly motivating, highly informative and have honestly changed my approach to how I choose to consume food products. Hopping on the organic food bandwagon has been the best thing for Holly and I. Granted it's more expensive, but we are being more thoughtful about the things we choose to consume. We still eat meat, but less often and only consume high quality sustainably raised types of meat. We also try to eat local food as often as possible. All these changes have helped tremendously with my lifestyle changes in becoming more lean, more athletic and dropping the weight so I can live a long, healthy and productive life. In all actuality, his books changed my thinking to actually do something about it. To be a conscious eater and to be a "localvore" as much as possible. Not only is it good for me, it's good for my community and local farmers. I would recommend this book to anyone to ready. I finally understand for the first time in my life, that we as humans truly are what we eat. Quality input does in fact equal quality long term output. The entire processed industry that exists in this country is extremely bothersome to me now and is creating a pandemic of health problems for many Americans. We can change this by being very thoughtful about what we eat.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

This past weekend I really wanted to make onion marmalade. So I searched out a bunch of recipes online and pretty much came up with one with a few adjustments that allowed this to be shelf stable. Most of the recipes called for making the marmalade and then storing it in the refrigerator. I really like the way preserved food can look in glass jars. So, with the addition of a little extra sugar, vinegar to ensure the right acidity, and ample amounts of liquid pectin, I now have several jars of some of the best tasting pancetta infused onion marmalade I've tasted, as well as a new custom recipe for my collections. I will be making this new recipe of mine again not only for entertaining but for nice culinary gifts during the holidays.



The main ingredient.



Lots of sweet onions prepped and sliced for caramelizing.



I cooked a pound of pancetta to render the fat. You don't actually process the marmalade with the meat in it, but used the rendered fat to infuse and flavor the onions and garlic as they slowly caramelize.



Cane and brown sugar to help preserve and get the right viscous texture.



The other two star ingredients of the marmalade. Lots of quality aged balsamic vinegar and a good burgundy wine to slowly reduce.



Starting the slow caramelization.



Once golden brown, adding the vinegar, sugar and wine for the second cook down.



Reduced and almost to the appropriate viscous state. Then I added the pectin.



Post water bath processing in some half pint jars.



I love how you can see the texture of all the onions suspended in yummy wine and balsamic goodness. I served some of this up as an appetizer on the 4th of July. Took some nice rosemary crackers, spread them with goat cheese and put some of this marmalade on top. I topped each cracker with a healthy dose of crispy pancetta bits. It was a fantastic appetizer, and great start to a nice holiday meal with friends.

Improving Myself, One Pound At A Time

When I was approaching the age of 35yo, I knew I needed to make some serious changes to my health and wellness. With our pending adoption, I knew I needed to get my health together. Something that I needed to do for a long time. With that in mind I drastically changed my lifestyle. Adopted exercise into my routine and became an exercise addict. Gave up processed food [for the most part], and re-taught myself portion size and took up a good habit of adjusting recipes to be much healthier for our consumption. Holly and I have enjoyed doing this together, and are both riding the surge of health and wellness these days. We've developed habits we can both stick with for life.



I hit a major milestone this past week. I've lost 100 pounds to date. The second goal of three goals I've set for myself in this process. I'm down numerous pant sizes, and many inches in my waist. All good things for my long term health. My next goal is 40-50 pounds. I'll be back to high school weight. I can fit in the suit I was married in 10 years ago, and have basically taken back 10 years of my life health and wellness wise.



My reminder of myself at my heaviest. I'm a different person these days. Not only in the way I look, but also in the way I approach my life, my activities and my interests. Bring on the "Flirty-Dirty-Mid-30's" for both Holly and I! :)

Vancouver Day Trip With Friends

I love Vancouver BC. It's a very vibrant, large and amazing different cosmopolitan city than Seattle is. A slice of all the European cities that I love, and just a two and a half hour drive north from our home here in Seattle. Holly and I, along with our friends Brock and Layla, decided to head up for the day and first and foremost attend a session at the newly dedicated Vancouver BC LDS Temple. We went up for this public open house a few weeks ago. A lot of the volunteers that have worked with us on Wednesday nights in the Seattle temple would commute from BC. It's nice they have a dedicated temple in much closer proximity now. Each temple beautiful in it's own fashion. The Vancouver BC temple is no exception.



Holly and I taking a quick pic by the main entrance of the Vancouver LDS Temple.



Temples truly are spiritual places. It signifies faith, and a connection to a higher power. An existence beyond this earthly life. I honestly feel that temples are the most sacred places to be on the face of the planet.

Afterwards we drove from the suburb of Langley, right into downtown Vancouver. When Holly and I were up there a few weekends ago, we took some friends recommendations to eat at Lupo in Yaletown. We loved this place. Locally sourced ingredients, house made breads and condiments. Organic meats and cheeses and charcuterie. We wanted to go back, so I made reservations again. It's in a quaint restored row house.



For my first course, I had an amazing caprese salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, so house dried tomatoes, pesto, balsamic reduction and micro-greens.



My second course was some lamb cheeks simmered in burgundy wine and beef demiglace, with fresh ricotta gnocchi and sauteed wild mushrooms.



No trip to Vancouver is complete without a crepe. In this tradition, we all walked along Robston St, and made our way to Le Crepe Cafe. I had hazelnut crepe with crushed almonds and Nutella. I had to have a scoop of espresso ice-cream to accompany.

Nom! Nom! Nom!

I totally feel like this today, the urge to junk out. But I want to bury my face in a feed bag of Wheat Thins! Or Buffalo Blue Cheese Kettle Chips. But alas, I don't junk out much these days. Not conducive to my healthier lifestyle. Thanks for the funny picture Holly. I love how CM is burying his face in a pot of cookies. This made me laugh extensively.

Temple Weekend

This weekend Dan and I are heading to Vancouver BC for a day trip to the new LDS temple. We went through the open house before it was dedicated, but haven't been inside to worship and do work there yet. As I was thinking about our upcoming road trip, I started a list of the number of temples I've seen, and the number of temples I've actually been in.

Seen:
Boise, Idaho
Boston, Massachusetts
Bountiful, Utah
Columbus, Ohio
Johannesburg, South Africa
Jordan River, Utah
Logan, Utah
Manhattan, New York
Manti, Utah
Mount Timpanogos, Utah
Nauvoo, Illinois
Oquirrh Mountain, Utah
Portland, Oregon
Provo, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Diego, California
Seattle, Washington
Vancouver, British Columbia
Washington D.C.

Served in:
Boston, Massachusetts
Bountiful, Utah
Columbus, Ohio
Johannesburg, South Africa
Jordan River, Utah
Manti, Utah
Mount Timpanogos, Utah
Portland, Oregon
Salt Lake City, Utah
Seattle, Washington

I love that we have temples around the world for so many to have the opportunity to serve and worship there. Both of my lists are kind of short, I'd like to work on making them both much longer.

Fabric Crush

So yesterday as I was out and about with visiting family (Mom, Renae, Olivia and Nicole are up visiting for a week) and we ended up at Wallingford Center. First and foremost to get cupcakes at Trophy *YUM!* and while we were there I discovered Fabric Crush. The name is so fitting for me, I really do have a love affair with fabric. I love the colors and patterns and this store is so light and bright I couldn't help but smile as soon as I walked in.




I also had to buy something, even if it was something small...2 fat quarters fit that bill perfectly. As I left the store (with a smile on my face) I had no real idea what I would do with my purchase until I walked over to the toy store my nieces were playing in and saw little girl patchwork aprons. They were so cute and seemed like a perfect next project especially since Olivia and Nicole had so much fun this weekend helping Uncle Dan cook in our kitchen! I'll post pictures as soon as I start...which will hopefully be soon :)

Homemade Sushi & Gyoza Yumminess

Holly and I had a great time this past Saturday night learning how to make gyoza from scratch, and roll sushi. Friends of our purchased the hands on food demonstration at a private grade school charity auction. All and all it was all for a good cause, and the company was great!



The filling which consisted of ground chicken, spices, cabbage, green onion, soy sauce to name a few. All rolled up by hand or in gyoza making devices. I personally found it was easier to just do this by hand, and omit trying to do the fancy edge with the rolling machine. The beauty of it, is that it all tasted the same going down.



Our little sweat shop, making dozens of gyoza.



My sushi roll. Mine had sprouts, smoked salmon, green onion, red pepper and mushrooms in it. Not a bad roll for my first time if I must say so myself.



My finished roll, all decked out on the plate just prior to consumption. We had a fantastic evening and will definitely be doing this again.

Some Much Needed Reprieve

It’s been an interesting few past weeks at work. A period of time that I hope we will be leaving soon behind us and moving on to other productive things. It’s interesting to see how people respond to changes and process improvements, particularly in a corporate setting. I’ve gone through these types of changes before, a myriad of times, at other places of employment. I’m learning with some colleagues at work, that these types of changes are stressful if they have never been subjected to a process improvement review. Or have never gone through anything like this in their professional working career. Tensions have been high at work to say the least and I’m glad I can be a sounding board for colleagues that are stressed out. I’m glad I have direct work colleagues to vent to.

I’m starting to feel that there are enough things in motion at work that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The much needed changes and process improvements are commencing and starting to fall into place. And enough external departments are in the know of the challenges we’ve been facing, that they can be a catalyst for implementing the changes as well. For the first time in weeks, I feel some sort of reprieve with the work related stress.

The Resistance

I've really been enjoying my Muse recent music purchases. I like the varying styles of music on both CDs. Some a little country sounding, some heavy metal and others alternative in nature. Particularly with wanting to block out unnecessary drama with colleges at work, it's nice to put my head phones on, and tune people out.

Vancouver Temple

I promised I'd post pictures of the temple so here they are. We had a little struggle getting there, but it was so worth it. I was amazed by the spirit that Dan and I both felt in the temple even before it was dedicated. We both got choked up as we walked through, not because of the architecture or decor, not even because of what the guide was saying, but it was because I know the sacred work that is done there, and I know that it is a place where God can dwell. I'm thankful for temples and even more thankful for the love Dan has for them and the opportunity we have to serve there.






As for the interior, it is very beautiful. There are representations of the provincial flower, the dogwood, all around. It felt very inspired by nature with the blue and green stained glass and rich murals and paintings.

Vancouver, BC

Dan and I had talked about going up north to see the new Vancouver temple on the last day of the open house. We thought driving up and back on a Saturday might be a lot of driving, but could be a fun little adventure. Happily Dan surprised me with a hotel stay in Vancouver instead so we could leisurely enjoy the temple open house as well as unwind from our busy, busy lives. It was such a fun and spontaneous adventure, one we really needed to take together.

That said, there will be no pictures with this post of the temple as I forgot the cord to download them. But I do have some pics of our lovely dinner we at while in Vancouver at Lupo.



We got this recommendation from Dan's coworker who hadn't been herself, but had heard really great things. I am hear to say, her friends weren't lying! The food was amazing. Our antipasti was sliced and cured meats – various salami and prosciutto goodness accompanied with 3 dishes of tiny pickles and artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and some fruit mixture (I did not partake since it had apples in it).



We were also coerced into the focaccia which had tomatoes, zucchini and a bit of rosemary on top. I'd like to thank the over eager waiter, it was heavenly.



We ordered the spaghettini pomodoro to share for our primi. The sauce was so simple, but so good.



Secondi consisted of roasted chicken with a rosemary reduction with baby potatoes, very young beets and tiny balls of zucchini and carrot. It's like they used the worlds smallest melon baller which I thought was great because the part I hate, at least for zucchini, is the soggy seed parts.



Dan had the italian sausage over mashed potatoes and the same tiny carrots and zucchini. (Isn't he cute!)



We were pleasantly full so we passed on dessert. It was a lot of food, but we were starving after only eating breakfast and driving all day. On our walk back we did some window shopping and ended up finding a good cupcake place for the perfect sweet bite. It was great.

The next morning we stopped at Crepe Cafe and had breakfast and dessert :) I couldn't leave without having a nutella crepe with strawberries. Si bon!

Our adventure continued down to the border where we were harassed by the border police. The guy directing traffic kept pointing us to the other lane that was meant only for people with special passes and was separated by posts that looked like they were made of metal. Finally Dan rolled down the window and said he didn't want to hit the metal posts to which the guy looked at us and said "they're made of rub-ah". We cracked up laughing as we drove over the barrier. Then we got to the gate and the guard there gave us crap about why were were in that lane so Dan told him "the guy in the outfit like yours told us to drive over the rubber barrier" HA! The guy was offended and promptly told us it was a uniform, not an outfit. We couldn't stop laughing which made us look like we were drunk or something. He asked us a few more questions, we tried to compose ourselves, he finally let us through and welcomed us home.

It was a great little trip. Thanks honey for suggesting it, and thanks for always making me laugh!

Change is Good

Life can be difficult. At times we all need to change in some way or another. For the most part I am very happy with my life, but there are still things I need to change in order to become my best self. So lately I've been introducing a few new things into my life to help me along the way.

First I've started amping up my gym work out (with tons of help from Dan!). I know I need to get healthier, so I've started jogging a little while on the treadmill to try and push myself. I've also increased the weight I'm lifting on the weight machines. And to aid in healthier living I found an iPhone app that helps me track my calories, water intake, and activity level. So far I really like it, and am finding it pretty amazing how many calories can be ingested without even thinking about it...and even from good foods!

Lastly I've felt like I need to do something to increase my spirituality, so I've finally added morning prayers to my routine. I know it sounds lame, but I really value sleep and that is why it has been hard my whole life to say morning prayers. In the past I've tried saying them in the shower, or on the bus, but always find it hard to focus. There is nothing better, in my opinion, to stay focused and draw the spirit close to you than when you are on your knees. Since making this part of my morning schedule, I've noticed I'm able to shave off a few seconds here, or there to give me the the time to pray while still getting up at the same time and out the door at the same time. I love it and really feel like it is a way for me to set the tone for my day.

Hopefully these new changes in my life will help me to stay focused on what is important and quite frankly, become less grouchy.

2010 Healthy Recipes, Week #12

In my ongoing Weekly Healthy Recipe installments, here is the latest. "Risotto For Two!" Fresh risotto always hits the spot. I whipped this up the other night after work and our gym workouts. This made enough for four servings. I also made some prosciutto crisps to garnish the top, be we ate those in advance! :) They never made it to the photo shoot...



Dan's Leek & Pea Risotto

1 T olive oil
2 leeks, finely diced
1 sweet onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 C alborio rice
1 C dry white wine
4 C chicken stock, warmed
1 C petite peas
½ C grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
3T chopped fresh basil

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté leeks and onions until translucent and they start to caramelize. Add rice and garlic and sauté for three minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Add wine and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add warmed stock ½ cup at a time ensuring liquid absorbs before each addition. You may not need to add all the stock. About 20-25 minutes for this step.

Add peas, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with nuts and fresh herbs.