Day 1: Portland, OR to Portland, ME

Given that Fall is my favorite time of year, we planned a whirled wind road trip to the East Coast a few weeks ago. The trip would last a total of 17 days (17 1/2 if you count the red eye flight the night before). We would actually step foot in 16 states. Wow!! Our flight to Maine consisted of 3 planes - Portland to Chicago, Chicago to Newark, and Newark to Maine. I (Caitlin) don't fly well, and taking off is the worst for me so this was no fun at all. We knew we had little time in each place so to make the most of it we took off running! We landed in Portland around noon and immediately dropped our bags and headed out. Here's a tour of our first day in Portland, Maine: We stayed at The Inn at St. John. It was a very old building that had a lot of stairs!! It was cute though and only about a 20 minute walk from the water. Of course our first goal was to find the lobster! We first came across Three Sons Lobster and Fish, which will ship live lobsters. Although we weren't going to get ourselves a fresh steamed lobster here, we thought it would be fun to ship one home to someone. Imagine their surprise when they open a box to find a live lobster! That plan was quickly laid to rest given the $90+ price tag. We found our dinner at Portland Lobster Co. A wonderful plate of steamed lobster, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and a baked potato... ...all with a view of the pier! We discovered that The Portland Museum of Art was free on Friday nights. I was very intrigued by this piece. It was make completely out of scotch tape and sewing thread. I'm sure those of you that know my history with scotch tape aren't surprised in the least. But it also had some reeeallly creepy paintings too. We ended our first day with a glorious sunset!! Day tuned for day 2.

Just Finished

This is a wonderful (though sad) story about the lives of people after they left the German concentration camps. The story is set as a series of letters. This book was wonderful. Previously titled To Own a Dragon, Donald Miller shares his struggles growing up in a fatherless home. It's written especially for men that grew up without dads, but also teaches how to interact with those in our lives who are fatherless.

Sorry

Ok we're sorry for being completely absent. We're still around we promise. We have lots to share with you...not super exciting things, but the normal everyday things we've been up to. We will post more soon.

A Challenge

I came across this blog post today and wanted to see if any of you wanted to join me in this challenge. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with my words. I think most women do. I tend to be quick to complain and slow to compliment. Here's the challenge:

A Different Kind of Recipe

Have you ever had to "eat your words"? That little cliché has never really given me much pause for thought. Maybe it should. It is, after all, about eating and about words. What could speak more plainly to a food blogger? What if I did have to eat my words? What would they taste like? Would my words be sweet and nourishing like bits of dried fruit? Or would they be hard and bitter like dried beans? The recipe begins like this... Fasting From Faults of the Tongue 1 lb. dried beans 1 lb. raisins (or other dried fruit) 2 medium size bowls a large measure of Honesty The execution, however, is a little more difficult. It asks us to commit, over the course of a month or so, to being mindful of our words. Each time we speak we are asked to consider what has passed our lips. Are our words sweet and nourishing? Or are they hard and hurtful? Photo courtesy of my own sweet thyme blog.

Dried Beans and Raisins

The dried beans are there to represent our indiscretions, the faults that slip past our tongue on a daily basis. Every time we speak in anger or refer to someone in negative terms, whenever a lie passes or lips, or an unkindness, every time we share a little gossip, criticize or complain, it asks us to drop a dry bean in one of the bowls. The raisins represent the fruits of the Spirit, the kindness and encouragement we offer and share. In the course of a day, whenever we find that we have spoken in gentleness or offered words of kindness or support, whenever we express love, joy, patience, peace or find ourselves practicing self-control, we put a raisin in the second bowl. Why are our faults like dried beans? They need some attention and application of process before they can edify us and add nourishment to our diet. As they are, dry and hard, they have little value. Like small stones they are more likely to callous and irritate, wounding us without adding nutrition, incapable of providing complete protein and, if consumed, largely pass through our system without benefit. Yet our words do have potential. If we attend to them, if they are soaked, softened, seasoned and combined with other nutrients, these hard nuggets can become both nutritious and palatable.

Raisins, on the other hand, are nuggets of fruit. Plump and sweet, raisins are fruit of the vine that are preserved and tucked away to sustain us in seasons of plenty or drought. They sweeten the staff of life and make the ordinary special. Raisins have long been treasured as a treat added to holiday sweets. They are valued for the bright flavor of light and warmth they bring to a cold off-season meal.

As you may have already realized, this recipe requires a lot of personal awareness and a very large measure of honesty. But then, if we aren’t honest, who are we fooling? Only ourselves. Eating Our Words

When the month is done we will cook and eat the bowl of beans we have collected. Soaking them in water the beans soften as the hard outer husk cracks and often pulls away. When heat is applied they become even softer until they are actually palaltable and can provide nourishment. Then the beans are able to absorb a little salt and other seasoning making them into a tasty meal. Then we can focus on the bowl of fruit. Using the raisins or other dried fruit we have collected we can bake a delicious loaf of sweet bread, cake or other sweet treat to share and enjoy with family or friends in celebration of the good gift of words and the power they have to build, encourage and transform. So what do you say? Leave us some comments to let us know when you'd like to start. For those of you in the Portland area that are going to join, let's plan to eat our bean and raisin meal together. If you're a blogger make sure to keep us up to date with your progress (and include photos). For those of you without blogs send me updates and photos and I'll post your progress.

Measure Twice

A few years ago I received these great measuring spoons in my stocking at Christmas. I really wanted them because they were the same ones that Giada DeLaurentis used on her show. They were so simple with their blue rims and porcelain material. However, I have now managed to break two sets of these and I'm thinking the porcelain just isn't the way to go. So now I'm on a quest to find the best measuring spoons available. Option #1I love this option since it's nice and compact. It offers all the measurements in one slide of the adjuster. However it doesn't always fit in small jars. I'm sort of cheating here though, since my dear friend Jessica sent this to me a few years ago and I absolutely love it. I've also found that since I bake alot that I need more than one set. Option #2 I love how adorable these are! Though not for me due to the porcelain material, I've learned my lesson. They also don't seem very practical as they take up alot of space. Option #3 This seemed like a good set, inexpensive, stackable, and some cute colors. But I had these previously and after a few washes the measurements peeled off. Onto another option. Option #4 I love the bright colors of these, but don't like that there's only four measurements. And the winner!! I finally settled on these from Crate and Barrel. They're inexpensive: $7.95. They have double sides so you don't have to clean them between measurements, and one side is oval to fit into small jars. They also rest flat on the counter. And the best feature, they are magnetic and stack together. Forget those annoying rings.

Happy Birthday to Jessica!!

In honor of our dear friend, us gals decided to take Jessica away for a much needed weekend of girl time and some R and R. Kate's mom and step dad have a beautiful home on the Willamette River and they graciously let us use it for the weekend. We started the weekend of with a wine tasting/appetizer pairing. Our goal was to only try wines that were $10 and under from Trader Joes. We chose Pinots...Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. We were each in charge of bringing one of each and a pairing to go with it. Abbey made us darling wine journals to record our thoughts about each wine...although by the time we made it to bottle 7 and 8 we forgot to take notes. We then had a Port tasting along with a very rich triple chocolate tart. The next morning we decided to be resourceful and use our leftovers to make quiche. We made a smoked salmon, goat cheese, and dill quiche and a pepper, kalamata olive, feta quiche. We had a great laid back day watching TV, drinking coffee, and of course eating Abbeys famous popcorn. Seriously people this stuff is amazing. We then started the evening off with a cheese sampling and Gewurtztraminer wine sampling...thanks Shannon for the great wine!! The weather broke just long enough for us to sit outside with the beautiful river as out background. We followed the wine and cheese with a dinner of salmon, asparagus, and a wonderful salad and were able to finish the wine from the evening prior...and of course we finished the chocolate tart. The evening ended with a game of Apples to Apples. Jessica had to get up early to get to work the next day (those kiddos in children's ministry love her as much as we do and would have been disappointed not to see her). A quick Starbuck's stop and we were on our way home. It was such a refreshing weekend filled with great fun and conversation with 4 other lovely ladies. Thanks Jessica for being such a wonderful gal and letting us celebrate you!

Meatless Recipe

I have been trying to find some new vegetarian recipes lately. Not only is meat getting very expensive, I've been having a hard time buying it because it's starting to gross me out. I have no idea why, but I'm guessing it has something to do with watching Food Inc. The problem is that I need to find substantial meals that Chris will eat also. The other night I came across this winner of a recipe. Now please note that I am borrowing this picture from the same site that I got the recipe.

For 6 people

• 1 large tomato or 4 plum tomatoes (about 3/4 pound)
• 6 medium fresh poblano peppers
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 3 cups cooked cheddar cheese grits (recipe follows)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1. Core the tomato with a sharp paring knife. Arrange the tomato, pepper, onion, and garlic in a 9-x-13-inch roasting pan, with the peppers gathered at one end. Brush all the vegetables with the olive oil, and sprinkle them with salt. Slide the pan under the broiler (about 3 inches from the flame or heating element), with the peppers nearest you; you’ll be turning them frequently as they roast. Turn the peppers every 3 minutes until their skins are blistered and blackened all over, about 9 minutes total. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl. Transfer the tomato, onion, and garlic to a medium bowl, and let them cool. Set aside the roasting pan. I did find it easier to cut one small side of the pepper off, remove the seeds, and boil it for a few minutes, instead of roasting the pepper.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, gently massage their skins to remove them and discard. Cut a 3-inch slit down the side of each pepper and gently spoon out the seeds and any whitish, fibrous veins. Fill each pepper with 1/2 cup cheese grits, and place in the roasting pan.

4. When the tomato, onion and garlic have cooled, remove the skins from the tomato and garlic. Process the tomato, onion and garlic in a blender or food processor, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the peppers.

5. Bake the peppers on the middle rack until the tomato sauce bubbles gently, about 15 minutes. Scatter the cheese on top, and place the pan under the broiler about 2 inches from the flame or heating element until the cheese has browned.

6. Serve immediately.

Grits:

• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup stone-ground yellow grits
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (fresh off the cob tasted amazing)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the salt. Add the grits in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.

2. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook the grits, stirring frequently, for 40 to 45 minutes, until they are thick-soupy and the grains are tender to the bite. Stir in the milk and corn kernels, and cook for about 2 minutes to warm the corn.

3. Remove the grits from the heat, stir in the butter, pepper Jack and pepper, and continue to stir until butter and cheese are melted. Season to taste. If the grits are stiff (rather than loose and creamy), stir in more milk to loosen them. I then served it with this great black bean recipe:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large jalapeño chili, seeded, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon (generous) ground cumin
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
• Fresh lime juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chili and cumin and sauté 30 seconds. Add beans and broth and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Coarsely mash beans with potato masher. Continue boiling until thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

If you try this recipe, leave me a note and tell me what you thought.