My New Recipe Box

I'm in love again. OneNote is his name. It is a digital file folder system of-sorts. I've always wanted something just like this. Right now i'm using it to organize my recipe collection - recipes that i have scattered across my machine in email, word files and scans. After this, i'll slowly spend the time adding in all the loose paper recipes that i have collected in old photobooks. The recipe collection is currently a little crazy, like something else in the house.

New Years Eve Owling

Inspired by a new family favourite, Owl Moon, we went out owling on New Year's Eve day. We found other beautiful things along the way.

We found some lingering snow hiding in the forest.

We had listened to some owl calls that morning. So we found our owl voices too.

To the delight of all of us, especially our owl-loving son, we did see an owl on our way home. This was by sheer luck, and the fact that a group of birds were harassing it. As Miles will tell you with hand gestures, it swooped "right" by his head. I think that we also found a fun new New Years Day tradition.

We've been saving the Halloween M&Ms for such an occcasion. We made Owl Hoot cookies to complete the adventure!

New Years Fondue! YUM!

Happy 2009!

Lights at BBG

BBG

Seattle Winterfest

Once the snow had cleared the area, we made a special trip to go drive the trains at Winterfest.

The boys driving the trains.

Christmas 2008

Rich gave Mina the third book in the Faraway Tree series. He read these stories as a boy in New Zealand and has enjoyed sharing the tales with Mina. This particular book, with the original illustrations, came from Australia.

Christmas morning! Check out the loaves of bread! On Christmas Eve, Rich and i enjoyed a fun night cooking and baking some treats for the holidays.

Here's an email that we sent to a local DJ when he asked everyone what we were cooking.

From: Annie RL [mailto:-----] Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 9:37 PMTo: 'dj@kexp.org'Subject: Are we cooking?

Love the tunes. It is keeping us going, as we’re not quite done yet!

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

4 loaves of whole wheat “hearth bread” (2 loaves baked so far)
3 loaves of Stollen (waiting to be baked)
A dozen “ginger people”
2 dozen home-made flour tortillas
1 batch of home-made mole (a sauce filled with chocolate, nuts and chiles)
1 dozen cinnamon rolls
* Bruschetta romesco
* Shrimp corn cakes
* Sea-salted edamame beans

*eaten already

Tomorrow, we’ll be having an Ethiopian feast, with Injera bread and a bunch of sauces. Mmmm. That should make tomorrow afternoon pretty busy.

Annie and Rich – listeners (and members). Mina and Miles already tucked into bed, looking forward to tomorrow.

The DJ mentioned us on air, stating that we were cooking up a storm and that we must be big people based on all the baked goods! He told us not to be embarrassed, admitting that he was a big guy himself.

Checking out some new books. Mina is hooked on The Boxcar Children. Thanks Uncle Hot Dog and Auntie Becca!

We have finally entered into the land of (tiny pieces) lego. Mina played with this for about four hours! Thanks Phil and Leanne!

Miles and his digger shirt. This was what he really wanted from Santa. And Thomas underwear!

The Monday before Christmas, Miles, on his own, decided that he wanted to say goodbye to diapers/training pants. Miles basically made a night and day switch. I'm not sure if it could have been any easier. This was a nice little present for Mamma!

Our Christmas dinner -Ethiopian food! This was our third or fourth Christmas having homemade Ethiopian food on injera bought at a local Ethiopian market. You use the injera to scoop the sauces - the kids loved this part and the holiday crackers!

Mina, dressed in a new scarf, dipping into dinner. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Lander!

Bedtime in the Xmas jammies.

Peace, joy, love and hope to you.

Flooding in Washington

Seattle Times gallery

Skiing Around the Hood

I'm finishing sorting through the pictures of 2008. I can't believe that the calendar flipped, and so quickly! Here are some pictures from when we had some serious snow.

Exercise Commuters - I love them!

Here is an article from today's Seattle Times, likely targeting all those with New Years resolutions regarding exercise, on the topic of exercise commuting. Microsoft VP incorporates running and the bus into his "exercise commute". In this way, Treadwell has been a source of inspiration for Rich. Treadwell is also active in the Eastside Runners Club.

Richard has been biking to work for the last eight years. He also regularly runs into work. This commuting style allows us to have one car. Four people, one car. Love it.

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