Spring Quiche

Oh my goodness, I’ve been absent here for so long! So much has happened in the last several months…most importantly, the impending arrival of a little bundle of joy in just a few short months! As a result of spending most of my energy creating a human being, I’ve had very little creative energy or inspiration for anything else. But, I do miss documenting my life, and with school almost over, I want to get back in the habit of blogging. So here we go…

First up, only because I don’t want to forget it, a yummy quiche I made last night. I love quiche and thankfully married a man who is manly enough not to complain when I make it. This combination was ruminating in my head at work all day, but adding the tomato wasn’t confirmed until I found some lovely, perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store. I don’t always love cooked tomatoes, but I sliced it so thin that it cooked down perfectly soft and melty. The basil was a last minute addition that took it to the next level, and David even thought it could have handled more, and fresh basil would be divine. Finally, the goat’s milk gouda was my favorite cheese I’ve ever used in a quiche – so mild and creamy. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s. Next time I would love to add some crumbled feta for a salty bite.

(Note: my cook time and temperature was really funky because I was too lazy to look at an actual recipe…I started it off at 375° but it started getting pretty brown so I reduced it to 325° and eventually covered it with foil to prevent it from getting too dark. It tasted great and the consistency was perfect but it took forever- over an hour probably. I also parbaked the crust at 350° for 10 minutes but it got soggy so next time I will use a higher temperature during that step.)

Spring Quiche

1 whole wheat pie crust
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped ham
~1 shallot, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded goat’s milk gouda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
Pepper to preference
1 tomato, sliced

Place pie crust in pie dish, prick bottom several times with a fork, and parbake at 425° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 375°.

Beat eggs in large bowl and add remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Pour into parbaked crust and place tomatoes on the top. Bake for about 20 minutes and then cover with foil and/or reduce temperature. Continue baking until middle is set and a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

In Loving Memory…

She had an easy laugh, contagious vision, and incredible giftings.  Wherever she went, she looked for, created, and took advantage of opportunities to share the Gospel with the lost, disciple the believer, and bless those around her.  Every activity in her life was centered around one thing: loving Jesus and helping others love Him more.  Today my beloved pastor’s wife met Jesus face to face, and my heart is heavy and crushed as I think of the gaping hole her absence creates, yet I celebrate the fruitfulness and beautiful legacy she leaves behind.

While we were awkward, yet hungry-for-God teenagers, she took me and several of my friends under her wing and did weekly Bible studies with us.  She taught us that true beauty was found on the inside – in the unique ways God made us; that He fashioned us and knew us and chose us and loved us.  She helped us understand our value as daughters of the King.  She taught us how to study the Bible, share the Gospel, and choose the best that God had for us.

On the many missions trips I went on with her, I got to experience her wonderful personality day after day and glean many ministry insights from her.  One year, there was a young teenage girl on the trip who wasn’t keeping up with her personal hygiene.  It got to the awkward point of someone needing to tell this girl to go take a shower.  Lisa had the perfect mix of motherly kindness and sense of humor towards the girl we were all getting rather repulsed by, and somehow, without making fun of her, lightheartedly commanded the girl to bathe.   The only way I can think of to describe how she dealt with that situation was to delight in the girl’s quirkiness, love her, and speak the truth to her with loving humor.  I’ll never forget that.

She delighted in many things: her daughter and granddaughter, her sons, her husband.  She delighted in her girlfriends.  She delighted in anything with a beautiful, flowery, Victorian style, yet could often be seen rocking a leather jacket and wearing lots of black.  She delighted in Irish goths, new believers, and seasoned saints.  Her absolute greatest delights were worshiping God, studying His word, and teaching it day in and day out. 

She delighted in details: every women’s event was chock full of detail after detail to create memorable, tangible reminders of  whatever Biblical truths the event was focusing on.  Her philosophy was to keep the details top secret until the event, so that the women would feel like each event was “Christmas morning,” she once told me.  She delighted in shopping, and used that to encourage women to follow God: I remember one year, when the theme of the retreat was the Parables.  There was a scavenger-hunt type game at each table, each with a different corresponding parable we were to “unlock”, and gifts that then corresponded to the parables.  We all laughed when our table full of young single girls got patchwork potholders, which represented the “new wine in old wineskin” parable Jesus told.  But even that minute detail has stuck with me through the years.  (Mind you, she didn’t shop for individual gifts for just a few tables, but enough for the tables of  literally hundreds of women at the retreat.  She also surrounded herself with delightful friends who helped fulfil her visions.)

She delighted in truth, and safeguarded sound doctrine in every area of the church.  She was faithful to teach the women at the church the whole council of the word of God, often delving into deep issues such as spiritual gifts, eschatology, and apologetics, so that the women of the church wouldn’t be ignorant of such things.  She wasn’t afraid to speak the truth, but always did so in love.

She delighted in the hope of heaven.  Her email address was “eyezonskys” in daily anticipation of meeting her Lord.  One whole retreat she planned was themed around heaven.  I vividly remember her paralleling how Jesus longs to meet us and embrace us, as his daughters who have been long absent, with her longing and desire to see her daughter after she had studied abroad for a semester.  She teared up (which didn’t happen often) as she said, “I missed her so much while she was gone, and just wanted to hug her and smell her.  That’s the kind of longing Jesus has for us.” 

I could go on with story after story of the trips, events, parties at her house, and conversations I had with her that helped shape me into the woman I am today.  I long for Lisa’s presence here on earth.  I ache for her family, my dear friends.  She leaves a legacy that will continue to bear fruit for generations to come, but we wish desperately she was here to continue blessing us and pointing us to Jesus, delighting in her grandchildren and delighting with us in daily life.  She is not dead, however, but more alive than she’s ever been before.  Her life’s longing to see her Savior is now satisfied, as she vivaciously enters into Jesus’ embrace and delights in His perfect, peaceful, joy-filled presence, joining the saints around the throne in worship and adoration for her King.

Home Is What You Make It @ Harvesting Dandelions

So I have this amazing friend Jenn, and she’s doing a totally fun series on her blog called “Home Is What You Make It.”  She’s had some sweet posts all about decorating, and asked me to write one about how I decorate.  After lots and lots of deliberation, I came up with some ideas that I’m totally excited to share.  Click on over to Harvesting Dandelions to check out my post, all about giving your home a little TLC (texture+layering+character).

House Tour: My Sister’s (Former) Barn

When Beth and Chad got married last August, she got to move into his studio apartment in Corvallis.  This apartment is known as “the barn” since it is above a detached garage/workshop on a property with a main house that another family lived in.  It’s a long story, but they’ve temporarily moved into the main house since then while they finalize the purchase of their own house.  I really wish I had pictures from when they lived in the barn, but wanted to show you the bones of the place anyways because it was so charming.  And as a little bonus, I’m including some pictures from the main house where they’re living now, since it’s so fun to see the architecture of houses in different states. 

The barn is an open concept floor plan, with one large room that serves as the living room, kitchen and dining room.  Partial walls and french doors separate the bedroom (and giant closet!) from the rest of the living area.

 

The bedroom (and the second picture is the view into the bedroom from the main living area):

The giant closet: 

Aren’t the wood plank floors gorgeous?

It was even cuter when B & C still lived there; Chad has very good taste when it comes to furniture and even decor items, and Bethany added a much-needed girly touch and breathed new life into the space when she moved in.  Don’t you love the floors, exposed beams, pendant lighting, fireplace, and windows?  Such great bones for a newer structure.

Here’s the front of the main house:

There’s a huge area when you first enter the house, with a bay window on one side and the kitchen on the other.  I think maybe it is supposed to be a breakfast nook.

There’s a giant living room area off to the side of the kitchen. 

 

(The window treatments were already in the house…they’re not really B & C’s style I don’t think .

Perpendicular to the living room, and behind the kitchen, is the dining room and another living room area with another fireplace.

 

 

They have lots of vintage Oregon State artwork, which is really cute.

Two years ago, Bethany wanted this striped shower curtain for the apartment that she lived in alone.  But the curtain rod was hung extra high, so it needed to be lengthened in order to look right.  I came up with this solution: I just sewed a panel of coordinating muslin to the top, and trimmed it with the ball fringe.  I think it turned out really cute!  Ball fringe is pretty much amazing…

Cute details…

And since it’s a 2,200 square-foot house, and they only have enough furniture for about a 600 square foot space, one of the bedrooms is completely reserved for my sister as her dressing room.  Nice, right?

The whole house is pretty awesome for a temporary living solution.  I can’t wait to see how they fix up the house they’re buying and make it cozy and stylish.

Oregon Trip 2012

At the beginning of November David and I visited Bethany and Chad in Oregon.  It was the perfect weekend, with brisk-but-not-freezing weather, breathtaking fall leaves, and perfect company.

The first day we hung out in Portland…(hence the requisite hipster instagrams):

 

Books and latte art at Stumptown…

Browsing the books at Powell’s…

And let’s not forget the man with the mustache…

We also had fun sister shopping and sushi time, and enjoyed the fall feel in the city.

After Portland, we went back to Corvallis, where we went on a beautiful walk, had a photo shoot, and enjoyed a picnic at a local vineyard…

Walked around OSU’s campus and attended a Beaver game…

And enjoyed many meals together, including an early Thanksgiving.

Such great memories!

Comforting Chicken Soup

I can’t think of a very exciting name for this soup, nor do I have a picture, but it happens to be one of my favorites and I need to write down how I make it so I don’t forget in the future (which happens with most of my cooking!).  Its soothing broth, soft chicken and veggies, and tender rice make it the ultimate comfort food.  Yet it has a bit of a kick to it, thanks to the green chilies and garlic, which will open up your sinuses and clear your head.  Whenever I’m sick with a cold or flu (not the stomach kind), this is what I want to eat.  My mom made this soup sometimes growing up, and I always much preferred it to regular chicken noodle soup.  I made some last night and even though I’m not sick right now I felt very nourished and cleared up afterwards. 

This is best with homemade chicken stock.  I had roasted a chicken earlier in the week and picked it nearly clean of all the big pieces of meat.  Although I forgot to throw the carcass in the crockpot before going to work yesterday, I was able to make a quick version of my chicken stock by just boiling it on the stove top for about an hour.  I placed the carcass in my largest pot, filled it with water, and added a quartered onion, celery stalk, bay leaf, and a few scoops of the gelatinous pan drippings.  After about an hour of boiling (covered), I strained out the broth and picked the rest of the meat off the carcass and reserved it for the soup.  I always feel so accomplished when I make my own chicken stock, haha!

Comforting Chicken Soup

4-6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best!)

1-2 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 carrots, diced

1 cup chopped green onions

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 can diced tomatoes (I used TJ’s fire-roasted variety)

1 small can diced green chilies

2 cloves garlic

Salt to taste

Combine stock, carrots, onions, celery, and tomatoes in a large soup pot.  Bring to a soft boil/simmer and add rice.  Continue simmering for 15 minutes or until rice is nearly soft.  Add shredded chicken, garlic, and salt.  Continue cooking until all elements are cooked.  Season to taste and enjoy!

Autumn Love: Fall House Tour 2012

I kept our fall decor simple this year.  A few new pillow covers in warmer tones, mini pumpkins and fall leaves scattered around the house.  I’m in love with the white pumpkins and the subtle, yet sophisticated fall feel they bring to the room.  And the pillow covers are one of my new favorite things in the living room.  I might even keep them out through Christmas and into the new year!  I also updated my gallery wall behind the couch with new book page art and a more fallish animal print. 

Autumn Love: Butternut Squash Soup

Hi friends!

I’ve been rather quiet around here lately… trying to be more purposeful with my time and activities, and blogging hasn’t really fit into that.  Also, school has picked up and I’ve been working more.  Best moment of the week – my student from last year saw me, ran up to me and hugged me, and said, “Mrs Wilkinson! I miss you sooo much!”  Melted my heart.  I miss my kids from last year too. 

Despite my busyness and lack of desire to be on here, I had to pop in to share my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup.  I make this every year during the fall and winter, and love it.  It reminds me of when I lived in Split and was dating David.  I remember one evening when my Croatian roommate, Tea, David and I had this soup for dinner.  It was cold and blustery outside, but with warm soup, toasted slices of fresh baguettes, and apple pie scented candles, my apartment couldn’t have been more cozy.  David and I took thermoses of warm drinks and a blanket and went for a walk on Marjan, the big woodsy hill at the end of the city, where we tried to sit and enjoy the reflection of the moon on the sea.  It was way too cold and windy, though, so we ended up at a cafe nearby.  Such a sweet memory. (Sidenote: I’m not sure why we were wearing tank tops, I remember it being a chilly evening…weird.)

Tea and I in Split – 2009

Anyways, back to the soup.  This isn’t the exact recipe I made back then, as I’ve lost that version, but it was pretty perfect tonight.  Sometimes I put ginger in it, or stir in some cream cheese to make it extra creamy. 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 potato, diced

1 apple, diced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

Salt & Pepper

Cinnamon

Cayenne pepper

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds (discard).  Drizzle cut halves with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.  Roast face down on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until outside is soft to the touch.  After removing squash from oven, turn over and scoop out flesh.  Save for later or use immediately.

In large stock pot, sauté onion, carrot, potato, and apple in olive oil until soft.  Add chicken stock, water, and butternut squash, and simmer for at least 20-30 minutes.  Add seasonings to taste (I do a few dashes each of cinnamon and cayenne, and at least a teaspoon of salt).  Remove soup from stovetop and puree, using either a blender (be very careful!) or immersion blender.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  If desired, stir in about a quarter cup of cream cheese to make it extra creamy.

Autumn Love: Apricot-Almond Chicken Tagine

Source: thekitchn.com via Kristin on Pinterest

 

We had this for dinner last night, and it was so delish.  The spices (to which I added some cayenne pepper, because it makes anything with warming spices taste even better) combined with the chicken and dried apricots, braising for an hour, created the most tantalizing fall-ish aroma.  And it tasted delightful.  It’s definitely going on our permanent meal rotation. Make it!

 

Autumn Love: Fall Decor Inspiration Board

To celebrate the fact that it’s only in the 80s outside right now, I put together this inspiration board for my fall decor.  As you can see, I plan on using lots of natural, rustic textures (wood, wool & cotton, leaves and squash) and layering in some shine here and there.  I can’t wait to shop my house to see what I can come up with…based on this plan, I won’t be buying much of anything new, but rather repurposing items I already have!

Fall Decor Inspiration – The Linen House by thelinenhouse on Polyvore

Italian Wool & Alpaca Knit Throw – Oatmeal / Moose Oblong Pillow / Acacia Chargers – Set of 4 / Occa-Home Chic Bespoke Plaid Cushion, $305 / Ethan Allen Small Antiqued Glass Candlestick / Ethan Allen Medium Antiqued Glass Candlestick / Frontier Cinnamon Sticks 2 3/4, 16 Ounce Bags (Pack Of 2) / Produce Crates Set of 4