Around the Belly

Amazingly, I am half way through my pregnancy. I think I stopped counting for a while and suddenly we were at the midway ultrasound. Technology is pretty amazing, we got a video to take home that has our baby girl doing high kicks and swimming around.

I don't have a lot of tips for the first few months, since I hardly noticed I was pregnant. Aside from being slightly fatigued occasionally, nothing else was out of the ordinary.

Now that I am putting on a few pounds, I am enjoying maternity wear. Really the stretchy waist bands are great, I think I will wear them from now on even when I'm not pregnant. My biggest tip about buying clothes for maternity is to shop in the Junior's department clearance racks (my favorites are Ross and Marshalls). The styles lately are leggings with balloon or bubble tops...perfect for a growing belly! I've found most items for around $5, which is about 10 times less than maternity sections at department stores. Ross also has a great discount maternity section with pants typically for under $10.

Pregnancy podcasts are a great way to get quick information on topical issues. Pea in the Podcast (Peas in a Podcast was already taken by us on Itunes) has a podcast for every week of pregnancy with the most important information that week. I usually upload a few episodes to my ipod to ponder during my daily run.

The blogosphere is overflowing with wonderful deals for pregnancy and parents. I have found amazing deals by subscribing in RSS to Baby Cheapskate and Freebies 4 Moms. They clued me into a $300 car seat for $40. Unfortunately, Target had a slight pricing error and I did not get the deal, but they gave me a $25 gift card for the inconvenience. Add them to your RSS and you won't be disappointed.

Thought for the Day: You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment. ~Dave Barry, "Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn"

Pregtastic

I haven't posted a freebie for a while, so its probably overdue. The world of pregnancy has opened up a whole new world of free things. This freebie came from a wonderfully informative podcast Pregtastic which has tons of pregnancy know how from several pregnant women.

The Essential Pregnancy Organizer, which normally runs $20, can be found for free here. You do pay shipping, but it has enough good content that its worth the fee. I must say the market for maternity and babies far surpasses the wedding machine.

I about passed out the first time I walked into a Babies R Us. You wonder how women living in huts in Africa are able to raise multiple children without a super baby bobby bouncer or sassy tummy time mat. More rants to come I'm sure.


Thought for the Day: Neighbors' children are always the worst in the world.

My Very Own Werner Herzog Movie

Mt. Rainier looms over the Seattle skyline. A sister volcano to Mt. St Helens, but nearly twice as tall. It is a reminder that man has not conquered nature and there is little we can do to prevent this mountain from blowing.

Our foray into the mountain was certainly not as extreme as Timothy Treadwell cavorting with grizzlies in Katmai. I did imagine Herzog's lovely German voice narrating our ascent half way up the mountain surviving snow and bears.
It might have been the decrease in oxygen that brought on an adventurous spirit, but our intended short hike turned into a five hour climb into the fog and later snow.

We have been talking about seeing bears for a while. It was shock when I saw a rather large black bear jogging up the path behind me. We also saw a large sow with two cubs from a distance, which was more my comfort zone. Most people we talked to on the path seemed like seeing a bear was the same as seeing a rabbit. Apparently a black bear has never attacked anyone on Mt Rainier and are usually shy tending to the berries.

I highly recommend camping at Cougar Rock in Mt. Rainier National Park. The campsite has a Japanese bio-toilet with the wonderfully warm heated seat found on most Japanese toilets. We managed the below freezing temperatures and snow with our 20 degree mummy bags.

Thought for the Day: We are told, that the black bear is innocent; but I should not like to trust myself with him. ~Samuel Johnson

Frugal Living is Fun!

Blackberry season is in full swing in the Northwest. Our property has blocks and blocks of thorny bushes. We have picked enough to last us well into the winter.

It took us a while to get used to eating food directly off a bush in nature after living in Chicago for so long. Now I scout out fruit trees at friend's houses and in the wild. I saw one man standing in bed of a truck stopped on the side of the road with gloves and pliers snagging the top branches of blackberry bushes...that's dedication.

My great aunt would always have homemade blackberry sauce with angel food cake and ice cream when I visited. To carry on this tradition for visitors to my home, I sauced up several batches of blackberries and stored them in the freezer using ice cube trays. Ice cube trays are one of the greatest tools in the kitchen. I have learned the value of freezing left over sauces and even herbs for later use.

My new monthly ritual is making chicken stock. Homemade stock is typically more flavorful, healthier, and cheaper than store bought stock or broth. I buy whole chickens when they are on sale for .69/lb and freeze them for later use. To make stock, I put the whole chicken in the stock pot with a few carrots, celery, onion, peppercorns covered with water. This should be brought to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours.

The top of the pot should be skimmed every so often to remove any impurities. Pour the stock through a sieve and refrigerate. The fat should be removed from the top after chilling. Freeze the stock in ice cube trays for use over the next month. The individual cubes are great for portioning for sauces, soups and really any dish to add extra flavor. The left over stewed chicken should be used for other dishes like curries or chicken salad.

The Frugal Living blog has many other tips on living on the cheap. I enjoy their top 10 ways to to start living frugal: 1. Befriend the Library 2. Clip Coupon 3.Eat out less often 4.Switch to online bill pay 5.Group errands 6.Make your own cleaners 7.Seek Freebies 8.Wash in Cold 9.Flip a switch 10.Change your own oil. Check the site out for many more advanced frugal living techniques.

Thought for the day: Washing and hanging the Ziploc bags on the clothesline to dry might be taking this frugality thing a bit too far. ~Me

In the Beginning

Piss Christ, Dung on the Virgin Mary, Yo Mama's Last Supper were highlighted in my university contemporary art class. Of the numerous visits over the past few years to modern and contemporary art museums, I cannot recall a single piece of art uplifting religion. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Tacoma Art Museum would be displaying 100 pages from the Bible.

Several calligraphers undertook hand copying the Bible in the tradition of scribes prior to the printing press. The project plan of this work made the Microsoft Vista project plan look like they were building a sandbox. Goose and swan feathers formed into quills and 1oo year old ink sticks were the primary tools for writing. Calf skin stretched into vellum forms each page. The project is known as Illuminating the St. John's Bible.

The precision and elegance of each word in this nearly billion word project blew me away. The Word is illuminated with pictures reflecting upon the text. Genesis begins with seven strips highlighting the seven days of creation as one example.

The power of this exhibits goes far beyond the artistic mastery. In the appendix of The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer describes the Bible as "...not 'just a religious book'; the Bible is rooted in space-time history and speaks of the totality of reality" The Bible has given truth to people in 1500 B.C. and truth to people today in the 21st century.

Calligraphy has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. Wyatt was inspired by someone doing calligraphy of the book of John and Deuteronomy 17:18 to produce a copy of some scripture by hand. We are hoping to create an illuminated work of a few of the New Testament books. We will forgo the quill and calfskin for cartridge filled pens and parchment most likely.

The exhibit of the St. John's bible will be in Tacoma through the end of September and a few other cities. I highly recommend checking it out.




Thought for the Day: When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, "It is talking to me, and about me." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Olympic National Park Tour

Road tripping around the Puget Sound is our new hobby. Its a wonderful thing to throw a tent in your car, grab an amazing latte from a drive through espresso hut, and hit the road. With little planning, we rambled through the ocean, rain forest, and mountains in a matter of days.

The Washington coast feels like the edge of the world. Apocalyptic beaches stretch for miles and sea stacks dot the shore. You might notice that there are virtually no towns on prime beach front property. 100 inches of rain per year and tsunami warning signs every several miles may have something to do with this. Although it is not the ideal place to live, I highly recommend a visit to see the tide pools and hike along the rugged coastline.

Camping in the Olympic National Park is first come, first serve. Everything is on the honor system and you place your money in an envelop to claim a site. We camped next to giant 10 ft diameter trees and overlooking a crystal clear blue lake.

The Hoh Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest that receives 12 feet of rain a year. Hiking around the mossy covered spruce, giant maples, and firs feels like stepping into an ancient place. Elk wonder through the woods, woodpeckers echo above, and banana slugs elegantly move along the floor. Trees frequently fall over and become nurse logs for several other hopeful seedlings. Wyatt calls it tree cannibalism.

Somehow glaciers are the answer to all things formed in nature. I will let you know once I see a real glacier in Alaska this fall, as of now I am a skeptic. Lake Crescent was carved out by glaciers and now sits 600 feet deep in places. We kayaked on its glass-like surface where you could see 60 feet deep. We waded in the water at dusk and watched the fog roll in over the surrounding mountains...serenity now.

On our way home, we drove up 5000 miles to Hurricane Ridge. The views of the Olympic mountains and Mt. Olympus are stunning. We did a few hikes among snow (in July!) and caught glimples of the Straight of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island, Canada.

On the road back to Seattle, we stopped off in Sequim, the lavender capitol of the world and had crab on the water in Dungeness Bay, WA. An end to the perfect weekend always ends with a ferry ride home.

Thought for the day: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

We Will Dance

This video makes me happy. This video makes me want to dance. This video makes me want to travel. This video makes me think of heaven.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Thought for the day: Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Psalm 106:47

Cast Iron and Cheese

Its not a weapon, I swear! Sure I think that Coyote hit the Road Runner with one, but I don't think I will be hijacking this plane with my cast iron pan. TSA did not buy our plea and confiscated my cast iron grill pan as a weapon.

With little cookware, I decided to go almost exclusively cast iron upon restocking my kitchen. Cast iron is amazing for several reasons.

First it is cheap! I got a cast iron grill/griddle pan from target for $4.99. On average the pans will run cheaper than the potentially cancer causing Teflon coated variety. Cast iron is very versatile, it holds heat well and can be transfered between the stove top and oven. So you can get a beautiful crust on a thick juicy Tbone on the fryer and finish it off in the oven to perfection. A potential negative for some is that the pans are heavy ~8lbs for a large skillet. I use it as part of my workout plan which saves time!

Homemade mac'N'cheese is my comfort food when Wyatt is away. A quick recipe for to die for cast iron mac. Make a rue in the cast iron pan with butter and a little flour. Add milk to this and any combinations of left over cheeses in your fridge (highly recommend including a sharp cheese like Dubliner Irish Cheese from Trader Joes). Once a nice smooth cheese sauce forms, stir in enough cooked elbow macaroni to almost fill the pan. Top with homemade bread crumbs and a little Parmesan. Cook at 350 in the oven in the same pan for roughly 30 minutes or until a beautiful crust forms around the edge.

Its a miracle! Cheese that does not melt. I finally found this jewel at Whole Foods - Halloumi. Halloumi is a mix of sheep's and goat's milk that is only made is Cyprus. You can fry it, grill it, bake it and it will not melt. The taste is close to Saganaki - the flaming cheese you find at Greek restaurants (usually made with Kasseri or Kefalotyri). I chose to fry it in olive oil in my cast iron skillet and top with a lemon vinaigrette with lemon zest served with homemade pita chips.

My last plug for cast iron is the enameled Dutch Oven. You can buy enameled cast iron of other pans for a significantly higher cost. The Dutch oven is one item thats worth it. You can use it like a crock pot and slow cook about anything in the oven. You can braise in it, make stews and soups, and simmer curries. I love it and use it several times a week.

Thought for the Day: There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves ~ Thomas Wolfe

For the Love of God

If you are a high school graduate, there is a 33% chance you will never read another book for the rest of your life. If you are a college graduate that number goes up to 42%. However, it is highly likely you spent 28 hours of your week watching TV.

Conservatively speaking, you could finish an average book in 6 hours. If you read 15 minutes a day you could finish 20 books a year. We do not own a TV and I haven't turned one on in my home for a year. So I should easily have met this mark, but I am writing this blog for myself because I did not read 20 books last year.

I have turned into an accountant of late. We have scrapped Quicken and track where our dollars and cents go with Excel spreadsheets and charts. Now I am moving on to my time. Wyatt has been disciplined in getting up early and reminded me that by pulling myself out of bed 1 hour earlier would result in 30 more 12 hour days a year.

After seeing my abundance of time, I realized I lack discipline. On a Crown Financial podcast recently a successful business women shared that she has a list of ten things she must do no matter what she feels like. Case in point 20 minutes of exercise a day, which would be on my list if I had one.

Discipline naturally flows into accountability. So I have given Wyatt license to use whatever means necessary to get me out of bed earlier in the morning. He will ask me if I ran today and what did I read. We both do a Bible reading plan that goes through the Old Testament once and new Testament twice a year. To enhance this, we got D.A. Carson's commentary on the plan entitled For the Love of God Vol I&II. We read the 2 page commentary aloud together which has incredible insight and sets aside time for us to discuss what we read that day.

A site of free audiobooks was recently recommended to me called LibriVox. It is quite extensive and the quality it good. I am working my way through G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy currently~just a mere 6 hours and 1 book under my belt.

Thought for the day: Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. ~C.S. Lewis

Oregon, Oysters, and More Oysters

One year later and one year more in love. Is the honeymoon over, I don't know. We are still experiencing new things together, like both our first times in Oregon and Wyatt's first taste of oysters.

I don't remember my inauguration to oysters, probably some posh corporate function, but I have been talking about them non-stop to Wyatt since we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I was on a mission to eat oysters after passing through Willapa Bay and the self proclaimed Oyster Capital of the World - South Bend, WA.

I really love oysters on the half shell, which are actually alive when eaten! Talk about fresh. So did Wyatt enter a haven of bliss upon encounter with this heavenly mollusk. This skeptic was turned into a believer and shuckers be ware we are working our way through oyster bars near you.

Oregon is an amazing place. Not only is it tax free, but gas is pumped for you by law for a cheaper price than Washington. Ok, not to mention the breath taking coast lines, commitment to locally grown product, the ocean, mountains, and rain forest within a few miles striking distance. And the tide pools, orgies of starfish at every turn and waves begging to suck you into the ocean.

I highly recommend Cannon Beach for your Oregon coast stay. You might recognize the scenery from such movies as cult classic the Goonies. Everything is local in this town, no Marriott or McDonald's in a very touristy town.

The picture to my left has been my dream ever since I knew this was possible- kayaking with killer whales! I have a very strong affinity with the ocean, my husband can fill you in on the numerous dreams involving sharks. This is a teaser to a future post...after my close encounter of the orcas kind.

Thought for the Day: He was a bold man that first eat an oyster. Jonathan Swift

A taste of Japan in Seattle

Two of my favorite things from visiting Japan were the food and 100 Yen shops. A recent move across the country has unexpectedly brought me half way around the world again. Ah yes, for those of you who haven't heard, we now reside on the left coast. Hopefully that explains why I have been MIA for the last few months.

Daiso is sensory overload at its finest. My heart starts racing as I see the 5000+ items the store has to offer....all for around $1.50! No need to price compare, everything is dirt cheap. This Japanese Walmart has made its way to the West coast. Seattle is currently home to two stores as well as a few in California and BC. Wyatt and I have found the best compromise; he drops me off at the store and heads to Cafe Ladro or another fine Seattle coffee establishment. A few hours later he returns to peel me away from the glittery, overstocked shelves.

APM's Splendid Table recently ran a podcast including a piece on Ramen noodles. I'm sure that brings to mind your college days where $5 would get you 30 meals, but this is serious cuisine in Japan. The guy on the show recently went all over Japan just to eat Ramen! I would have opted for discovering the subtle differences in toro around Japan, but to each his own. The podcast prompted my craving and I dug up Samurai Noodles in the Chinatown/Uwajimaya area of Seattle. Think about bones simmering away for 30 plus hours to produce a lovely collagentaed white broth, fresh, homemade noodles and yummy toppings like scallions, sesame seed, and seaweed. Cup-o-Noodles has nothing on this stuff.

Ethnic foods have become my new comfort food over the last several years. I cook and eat Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) more than anything else. Curries, coconut milk, and chilies stock my pantry. Dim sum is my weekend brunch. I work my way through the Indian Buffet line like a pro. I find nothing unusual about picking raw tuna, salmon eggs, or sea urchin off a conveyor belt for my dinner. Viva globalization!


Thought for the Day: Variety's the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor~William Cowper

Meat!

I applied to host a Meat! Party for Hilshire Farms today and it got me thinking about my favorite food group. I subscribe to many Foodie RSS feeds and they often feature Vegan and healthy recipes without meat which are rather tempting, but something just can't replace a crab leg that is larger than your own arm.

I came home from a late night on the new job to find my husband had purchased a 1 lb. Colossal Crab leg. I held it up to my arm and indeed it was longer and close to being meatier. Where in Russia they find these things is beyond me. I was up for a light meal (ha!) so I whipped up an orzo, tomato, and super duper king crab pasta. Amazingly the larger the crab, the sweater the meat.

As much as I bag on Jewel, it does feature some reasonable and unique cuts of meat. Over the holidays they had a really cheap prime rib roast at 2 lbs that I whipped into a nice and delicious meal with garlic mashed potatoes and roast asparagus. This recipe is easy, rub is a lil' horseradish or garlic salt and roast at 325 for 1 hr/lb.

We honeymooned in Austin, TX, which still gets questions like is your family around there? (What!?!) No, actually we like to experience the culture of America in its various facets. BBQ is high on the list of Americana and Stubb's BBQ (Austin local restaurant) takes the cake. Thankfully, many grocers including Jewel and Meijer carry this delicacy in your specialty sauce section! I vote for the Original sauce which has more vinegar, but the Mesquite comes a close second (although seems to burn easier for the higher sugar content). 1.5 hours at 325 F for a rack and you are set for some succulent, tender better than Carson's in Chicago ribs!

Thought for the Day: If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? John Cleese

Potpourri

I for one would much rather have a bouquet of peppers than flowers any day. My lovely husband brought me a beautiful bouquet from Pike's Market for my birthday. An added bonus was the garlic for extra aroma. The great thing about this bunch is that it is edible for up to 2 years!

I hate it when people give statistics without support, but I am going to do it anyways. Al Mohler of the Salem Radio Network did a podcast a few days ago called The Twilight of Books?. He gave a statistic that 39% of homes in the US have the TV on from when they wake up to when they go to sleep. I have had the TV off for several months now and the silence is glorious. I can't say I miss seeing whether Britney Spears goes to Target or Costco.

Another rather alarming statistic is that nearly 90% of children born in the inner city are out of wedlock. I believe I got this statistic from Dennis Prager. The face of society is definitely changing. The push for so called "change" is ringing all around from the potential candidate for president. What are the implications of the above statistics? Feel free to post your thoughts.

Thought for the day: All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching? ~Nicholas Johnson

Mars Hill Music Rocks!

Soulja Boy might be the music of the day. I'm not so hip, so I just learned this dance on Friday when my co-workers demonstrated in front of 300 people at Navy Pier. I'm not gonna lie, I have since been rocking the dance courtesy of youtube instructional video, superman then hoh! Despite my mad hip hop dance skills, I kind of dig hymns and songs with a lot of deep feeling and meaning behind them. Leave it to Seattle based church Mars Hill to bring some seriously rooted music back to life with their various worship bands.

The videos in this blog link to biographies of great Christian composers from John Newton to Johnny Cash. I may have heard some of these stories in passing, but they never really stuck until I saw these very moving videos. I've linked two videos here that I especially enjoy, check out all of the saints here.

Additionally, Mars Hill puts out tons of free quality Christian music. In fact, if it weren't free, I would buy each song for 99 cents on itunes over anything else out there. You can subscribe or listen to all Mars Hill band music here under Media. I gave out a Christmas CD with several of my favorite songs including: Ex Nihlo's All my Tears, Come Ye Sinners; BCG's Man of Sorrows, Nothing but the Blood; E-Pop's Come Thou Fount, How Deep the Father's Love; and Praise Hammer's Psalm 69. Add them to your itunes and enjoy the best free music out there!

Thought for the day: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall he no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21