Wild animal week?

I think I've seen my fair share of creepy crawly things this week. First of all, the slugs are out in force right now. Many people may already know that I have an unrealistic fear of slugs. I know they don't really jump or bite, but I really hate them and hate being surprised when I walk out the door, turn a corner, or walk across the grass by a big slimy slug. Then, on Monday when I was on a run w/ the husb, we counted 6 snakes curled up in the grass on the side of the road. Oddly, they don't strike the same level of fear and disgust that slugs do, but it was a little unnerving realizing how many snakes live in the wooded area surrounding our house.

Today, things took a little turn for the better. As Noah left for work, he ran back upstairs to show me who had wandered into the neighbor's yard:























It was actually a little family of 3.... a mom and 2 little ones. We get deer that find their way into the area every once in awhile, but it always reminds me why I like living a little farther out from the bigger towns and cities. I hope they come back soon!

I love summer flowers

Noah and I went to a friend's wedding today in La Conner, WA and it was a beautiful day to drive up there. The wedding was at a gorgeous rose garden. I was of course smitten with the dahlias, because, well... I have a thing for them. I used them in my wedding, I usually plant them each year, and I just love how they look. I would have taken more photos, but Noah is not as snap-happy as I am and there was only so much time we could spend away from the other wedding events. Congrats Natalee and Scott!

And finally, an obliging husband! :)

Summer Quilting

Summer has always been a time when I find some fun fabric and embark on a new quilting project. Undoubtedly, I take my sweet time and finish some time around December, or even longer. The last quilt I made was a project 3 or more years in the making. I just never had the time or space to dedicate to working on it, and so right around New Years 2008, I was able to put the finishing touches on that quilt (the red and cream one) and ship it off to Minnesota... as a gift for my dad and step-mom. I hope they enjoy it.

So now, thanks to our fabulous dining room table, I can spread out and not have pins, cutters and mats in harm's way.

So, this spring, a fabric store went out of business not far from my house. There was a ton of closeout fabrics and store displays. There was even an entire couch set... which I thought about asking if it was for sale too. Anyway, here were some finds...

A vintage metal chair with an oilcloth seat. I'll use it in my classroom next year, but for now it's on our patio.

Some brightly colored fabrics. I thought they would work well for a not too girl-y baby gift... or we'll just see down the road what happens.

I found four other fabric designs that I decided to make into a quilt for a friend... this is the first time I've started out on a project without knowing what I want the finished product to look like. I'm not using a pattern and I don't even know if I'll put all 4 together in the same quilt. Maybe I'll make 2 quilts, I'm not sure. So far I've made blocks of squares that look like this:

and this:

I'm putting this project on hold however, because we really need curtains in our bedroom, so I'm working on that. They're not anything special to brag about, but I'm happy with how they are turning out. Maybe I'll post a picture once we hang them and paint some walls.

What I wish I could do...

My favorite meal we had on vacation was a perfectly prepared white fish called Opah. And it didn't hurt that it looked good on the plate too. It had a spicy seasoning and it was lightly blackened. Yum!!

I can bake salmon and that's about it as far as fish is concerned, and it never looks pretty either. Does anyone know some secrets to grilling/preparing fish?

Here's a couple of other photos from that same night... my friends Heidi and Amy got King crab legs and they were awesome!

Baking Bears

I meant to post this awhile back... but time has escaped me. We've been really busy lately. After graduating, there was a flurry of activity. Friends in town, Graduation weekend, followed by my birthday. Then more friends in town, the 4th of July, and then a wonderful trip to Maui. Now that we're back, I'm working a short teaching job Monday through Friday for the next 4 weeks. Then I'll go straight to my new permanent teaching job. It's a good summer, but very busy!

So back to my original point... during the last few weeks of school, I was able to do some substitute teaching at the school I spent a lot of time at this year, which was so much fun. My first grade classroom from student teaching also wanted to celebrate my birthday! That meant I would get to bring treats in and see all of my students for one last time before school let out for the summer. I decided to make cupcakes, but wanted to be a little more creative than using the box mix and frosting I had in my pantry already... (a friend of mine did something similar for her son's first birthday party) here is the result:
















They are supposed to be bears... I think they turned out pretty cute! All of the kids really liked them. They also liked picking off the candies and altering the bears faces.
Besides chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting, I used:
-Brown sugar crystals
-Jelly Beans
-Marshmallows
-Milk and carmel chews
-Chocolate chips

My last class... really this time

Tonight was the final class I had to attend today at Seattle University in order to finish my Masters degree. In the last few months I've had my last day of student teaching, my last class as a whole cohort of 50 students, and I presented my Masters project. All of these were very big milestones, but today was another one. Each student must take an elective class that meets in the evening once a week. It was a drag going to them and while the instructor and class material was great, I dreaded going each time.

This last class was different from most I've had and included a short presentation and then a class potluck. I made Szechuan noodles recipe courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa and my friend and mentor teacher, Krysta. It was a fun class.




I forgot to take a photo of the noodles beforehand. This is the after:

Here is the recipe:
6 garlic cloves
1/4 c. chopped ginger
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sherry
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. hot chili oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4. tsp cayenne/red pepper powder
->Combine above ingredients and puree in a food processor or blender
1 pound spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions sliced diagonally
-> Cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain and place in serving bowl.
-> Toss w/ 3/4 of sauce, then add the peppers and scallions.
-> Add remaining sauce if needed.

I love this dish because it can be served hot or cold, and you can add so many different things to it.... chicken, tofu, prawns, etc. The sauce keeps well and can be made well ahead of time, so it is easy to throw together at the last minute.

Now, there is nothing more required of me. I do get to walk across Qwest field on Sunday with a funny cap and gown.

Road Trip

Two weekends ago we spent five days or so out of town while we trekked to Hamilton, Montana for a family wedding. Noah's cousin got married and we caravanned with his parents... making a stop in Spokane the first night to say hello to my mom and step-dad. The trip included a detour at my favorite chinese place in Spokane for some take-out, many, many pit-stops and gas-ups (we took 2 trucks... isn't that economical? :) It was comfortable though so we didn't mind spending a bit more on gas). The whole trip was fun and I was really able to relax and take a breath after presenting my master's project the week before. I did get a little sleep deprived... even owing apologies for some uncharacteristic fits of crankiness... so I was definitely ready to snuggle up at home by the end of our trip. Regardless, it was so exciting to visit a new place and take in the sights along the way. Here are a few shots from our trip plus a look at the natural beauty of "Big Sky Country"