joe and jen's place: February 2007

God's good hand

the Lord has closed the door on the job that joe has been interviewing for since mid-December. the news was that they loved joe to pieces and desired very much to hire him, but when all was said and done, they realized they needed one with more experience. we are comforted that God knows exactly where He's leading us, and when. but for now, joe knows that where he's been is exactly where he needs to be.

we walk blindly, unawares. we walk with poor-tractioned hooves. we like the dandelions we find on our way, and we see they are numerous and pungent. but we hear His whistle to come along. He tells us to not fall behind. the Shepherd is leading us by His good hand, guiding us perfecty through dangers we do not perceive, saving us from the pit of rocks, wacking wolves and bears with his long staff. and suddenly we can smell, in the distance, quiet water. we can faintly smell lush, green pasture.

it might as well be spring

it's raining, but the trees are blooming. you'd think that, after a lifetime of experience, the tree would know not to bloom in february. every february it blooms, and every february it rains and all its blossoms fall off and it's glory is over.

...having just said that, it's hilarious how pessimistic i am sometimes. :) as if it was a waste of time and energy for that tree to blossom in the rain! God likes it to bloom in february, and so it does. and the tree still brings forth it fruit in its season.

my house, likewise, is in bloom. though it may be premature, it's celebratory and refreshing. winter's grasp is failing and new life comes triumphantly. death no longer reigns.

.

bring out the spring pillows! i love pillows (insert sheepish grin here).

these daffodils were part of my valentine's present. joe knows i love daffodils just as much, or maybe even more, than red roses. and the pitcher my mom bought me a couple summers ago. it's handmade from san francisco.

our Sabbath table, spring version. i have no idea what this greenery is, but the one in the middle is one of my favorites, and joe's too. its green is cool and silvery.

my valentine cooks

joe made me dinner for valentine's day! the meal started off with an arugula and red kale salad with pear and fried sundried tomato goat cheese. then it was steak (of some special cut, marinated in something else special too but i can't remember now!), gruyere scalloped potates, broiled asparagus. i finished the evening off with strawberry shortcakes d'amour. we ate in the middle of the room, on red cushions on the floor. it was fun, and my hubby worked so hard and made a fantastic meal. there was, however, a mammoth pile of dishes to greet me the next day (and the day after that) which, with no dishwasher, was quite daunting. but it was my kind-hearted, perceptive mother-in-law who vanquished the foe, and made short work of it too! thank you, trudy, you have no idea how much that blessed me!

i just have to put this other one in, as we're asparagus lovers...doesn't this asparagus look yummy? maybe not...but it was.

mine didn't exactly look like the book's. i hand-cut my hearts and then couldn't wait till they cooled to assemble and all the whipped cream melted. but they were divine!

sweet treats

though i love experimenting with new recipes, i almost love the romance of tradition more! and valentines day is no exception. i've made the same thing every year so far, i think. despite this, i have a hankering to know what other sweet gems are out there. would anyone else like to humor me and post (on your own blog) what they are making for their valentine? naomi lewis told me john favors the classic heart-shaped cookie frosted to perfection, but she also plans to make other little divinities. here's what i'm making for my valentine...it's heavenly! copy it down for yourself if you'd like. you won't be underwhelmed:

Strawberry Shortcakes d'Amour

(taken from Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook)

for Shortcakes

3 C. cake flour, plus more ase needed

1/4 C plus 1 Tbl, plus 2 Tbl granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

6 Tbl cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 C heavy cream

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbl water

for Strawberries

2 C hulled and quartered strawberries (i have also used frozen berries in a pinch)

1 Tbl rasberry preserves

2 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp lemon juice

for Whipped Cream

1/3 C cold heavy cream

1 Tbl sour cream

1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheet.

To make the shortcakes: Sift together the flour, the 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbl sugar, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse 3 or 4 times at 2-second intervals until the dough resembles course meal. Add the cream and process until the dough begins to come together, a few seconds more. It will still be crumbly at this point. Do not overwork or the shortcakes will be tough.

Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle it with more flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches long. Fold the left end to the middle and the right end up over the left end to form 3 layers. Roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch-wide heart-shaped cutter, cut into 3 individual cakes. Gather the scraps, roll out the remaining dough, and cut out 3 more hearts.

Place the shortcakes at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops lightly with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the 2 tsp sugar. Bake until the shortcakes are a light golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries: Stir together the berries, raspberry preserves, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Put 1 C of the mix in a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Return that to the strawberry mix and set aside.

To make the whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. The cream should slowly fall over forward when lifted with a whisk. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer.

To serve: Using a serrated knife, cut 2 short-cakes in half horizontally and place the bottom halves on each of 2 plates. Top with the strawberries, dividing evenly. Add a dollop of whipped cream and top with the remaining shortcake halves. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with mint sprigs.

Hint: These shortcakes freeze beautifully. Freeze the uncooked cakes on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Here's what the book's version looks like. I'll post my finished product tomorrow. :)

joe art: flower power

This is for another site. so dont mind it one bit. thanks

for kat

( kat, i'm mailing off the nappy pattern to you!)

amy butler's fabrics are seriously the best. her color combinations are fresh and vibrant, and her fabric pattern choices are sometimes whimsical, sometimes romantic, sometimes shabby chic, but always cheerful and never over the top. here are the two projects i've actually completed:

this pattern my mom bought for me, i think as sort of a college graduation present, and we made it together during a family holiday in Tahoe. it's the Chelsea Bag, and it's extremely versatile and easy to make. i love this one, and used it exlusively for over a year as a purse. it has held up extremely well, and i cannot even number how many comments of adoration it has received in its every public appearance! ladies just think it's adorable. and it's reversable, so the inside lining can quickly become the outside with a flip. my mom and i both made it in a day.

this is the "nappy bag" which is i think my favorite design so far of amy's, but i haven't actually used it yet, and have heard from my cousin-in-law that it's not the most practical of purses for baby junk. but it's certainly gotta be one of the cutest. my husband bought me the fabric in moscow, idaho's La Bella Vita (awesome place!!) for my birthday a couple years ago. i made it with my mom-in-law, who coached me through it (thank you!), and i LOVE it. it will be so fun to use.

i think though, now that i see all the new fabrics that amy is coming out with, i'm going to have to make another one. this fabric is not my absolute favorite, though i still love it to bits.

as one might have guessed, joe is rather into photography and he really wanted to take some stylized shots of "the nappy" in action. it gives a good idea of how it will "hang."

can you see the cell phone pocket up near the arm? so perfect.

while i'm thinking of it, this is kinda fun. these i just got recently and they remind me so much of amy's style. they were clearance-rack pillows i found at mervyn's after Christmas, and are PERFECT in our house. they're a total amy butler rip-off, but so cute and couldn't have been better priced.

and this one's not amy butler either, but it also has the same feel to it. these placemats are by Danica, a housewares brand i love almost as much as amy butler. i also adore "tag" which is another brand with a similar taste.

here are some recent amy butler fat quarters i've been collecting. there happens to be a store dangerously close to my house which carries many of her fabrics and patterns. it's a happy place. :)

and here are some "amy butler" copies, which i very much like. i think they would incorporate well with the real deal.

and this one is brand new to me. i got it for Christmas from my mom and i'm dying to dig in!

i messed up

i just posted a pile full of pictures, and wanted the posts to start at the top in chronological order, but they don't. it's all screwed up.

so, if you're one of those logical people who need chronology to be strictly observed, or you'd just rather see it from the beginning, look over at the right-side margin for "Previous Posts" and click on the one titled "Advent events: first edition" and that'll get you started from the beginning. Go through all the advent events, then start on "Christmas events: first edition" and work your way through. wow, this is way too much work. :)

advent events: fourth edition

city dining with the roberts

joe's sister and brother in law, kim and chris, gifted us with a dining experience in san francisco like none other. they know how to pick 'em! located literally down a dark and ignoble alley, the place was called Bix Restaurant and was obviously a favorite with the locals. it's hard to see in the pictures, but this was an incredibly interesting and beautiful supper club. the artwork was by far the most intriguing thing about it, but their food more than lived up to its reputation, and our waiter was extremely talented in pairing wine with food. and i had the most divine tasting chicken hash!

we just had to get our picture taken with the clothesless tuba mama

advent events: third edition

advent party at the Watkins'

um, somehow this is the only picture i got from this party. :)

we even had a wine from Chateau Saraliev, made and bottled by one of the families from our church. such a treat!

advent events: second edition

cabrillo cantiamo chior at Carmel Mission

this mission is breathtaking!

elizabeth neff, in the very middle

elizabeth's cousin, anna reimers, had a beautiful solo (again!). we just barely caught her here, between heads.

advent events: first edition

ladies and gentlemen,

ok, i am such a nerd, but i organized these posts and pictures chronologically for smart and easy viewing. but then i went and posted them in the wrong order cause i am also Blogger-challenged. so, darn, the posts start here and go up the screen, but you've probably already seen all those and are ending here! oh well.

anyhoo, having bought a sparkly new camera cord, we have the opportunity to share with you our most heart-warming and delicious Christmas moments caught on digifilm. if thou carest not, none offense taken. our advent activities began here:

dining out.

lark creek of walnut creek, CA is one of our favoritest places, and a tradition hopeful.

(mames, i bet you've seen this place, and perhaps even been there with your noni and papa?! it's in the heart of downtown) .

i'm becoming painfully aware of what photography nerds we are! three pictures of the restaurant name? why?? i don't know, but we can't help ourselves. like moths to the flame.