FINALLY, back to it!

The past year has presented events that distracted my quilting efforts, some quite enjoyable and others very disconcerting. If you know me, you know the disconcerting events are health related. Long story for another post.
I have finished the quilt that I made using the 'found objects', the textile Japanese coasters with birds. I shared the images in another post, but here they are again.

Eli's Summer Camping Adventure

Click here to view this photo book larger

The new way to make a photo album: photo books by Shutterfly.

QUILTS IN THE GARDEN ~ AUGUST 27, 2011 ~ CORVALLIS, OREGON

I enjoyed so much the opportunity yesterday to view seven garden venues that included quilts made by many people from our local area.  Enjoy the slide show.  My personal favorites are always the non-traditional quilts.  If you click on the slide show below, you'll be able to see larger images.  It was a beautiful sunny day, so I apologize for shadows on some of the quilts.

KRISTINA'S RECEPTION

Yesterday was the inauguration of Kristina's photography show at Crush Wine Bar in Monmouth, Oregon.  These are some photos of the event, which was well attended and enjoyed by everyone!  Thanks to all of you who came and enjoyed the photos taken by another of our talented daughters!

RECEPTION ~ SIMPLY SNAPPED PHOTOGRAPHY

RECEPTION ~ Kristina's Photos
@ CRUSH WINE BAR

May 7, 2011 1-5

105 East Main, Monmouth, Oregon

http://www.simplysnappedphotography.com/

I am convinced that the proclivity for right or left brained dominant pursuits runs in families.  At least I am convinced that is true in our family.  Our eldest daughter, Thing One, has recently turned the corner from amateur photographer to professional photographer.  Her family has encouraged her for ages to think about doing this, as we all could see that she had quite an intuitive 'eye' for creating artful photographs, no matter the subject.  We know her efforts will bring her satisfaction and contentment, and that others OUTSIDE of her family will let her know thay they too are impressed with the beautiful photographs that she is able to create.
The photos will be there for May and June, so if you miss the reception and still would like to see them, here are the hours for Crush Wine Bar;
Mon - Thurs: 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Fri - Sat: 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Crush has excellent regional wines and the best bar menu featuring local products like cheeses and breads.

THRIFT SHOP FINDS

I found these five little 5 inch (14 cm) Japanese made coasters at a second hand shop on the Oregon coast last August.  I finally have decided to move ahead and incorporate them into a project.  I will soon add the finished project to this post, as I think it will be done by the end of the week.  I have heard that cottons and silks will increase in cost this year, so I am going to be looking more and more into the thrift and second hand shops for vintage textiles to work with.  I also recently ordered a bolt of raw silk to dye with natural dyes.  Come on spring!  That activity needs warmer outside weather!

STAFF ART SHOW

Today I learned that two of my pieces have been accepted for the Oregon State University Invitational Staff Art Exhibit, March 7-30, at LaSells Stewart Center. To me, a nonprofessional artist, this is pretty exciting.
The top one is called PASSION WITHIN and the lower one is NAMAZU.

A 90th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Yesterday was my father's 90th birthday. We celebrated with an OPEN HOUSE & of course many family members & friends came. Dad had a great time, & we all enjoyed seeing this remarkable man. He is fully intact & lives independently in his own place, still drives & has an active, engaged mind. Below are two slideshows, one "JOE'S LIFE IN PICTURES", as well as pictures from his birthday party.
(PHOTOS: Captioning is controled by clicking the box on the left of each slideshow. If you prefer larger images, double-clicking on the slideshow will open it in another window allowing you to slow down the speed of the slides. Reading the captions will be easier then too.)
JOE'S LIFE IN PICTURES

JOE'S 90th BIRTHDAY PARTY

HOMEMADE CHEVRE ~ YUM!

Picked up my weekly milk from my 'farmer' friend and made a batch of chevre last night. Decided to also use the recently acquired TEMECULA OLIVE OIL that I have been saving for noncooking kitchen creations. The taste is so buttery and divine, why heat it up and risk ruining this wonderful stuff. Packed the jar with little chevre buttons, fresh rosemary from right outside my door and sun dried tomatoes, pouring the olive oil over all as I worked my way up the jar. Can't wait to sample it! Next time I am going to try an Oregon grown and made olive oil! Who would have thunk it, Oregon? OREGON OLIVE OIL is going to be my next olive oil.

SOLJANKA ~ SUCCESS!

In eastern Europe and in Russia there is this most dee-lish soup called Soljanka (various spellings too). In my experience, the ingredient summary often leaves many Americans wondering why they would like this soup. But I'm telling you it is the best! I've never made it or recommended it to anyone who didn't become a convert to SOLJANKA.
One's own recipe will suffice though, as there are so many variations, you can't do it wrong. Near the sea it is often made with shellfish or other seafood, and in other regions organ meats (OK, I admit to liking beef tongue and using it and no one knew), beef, sausages, pork, chicken or turkey whatever is handy. As I said I don't eat a lot of meat, and my consciousness about avoiding organ meats, means I have to be VERY sure of its origin. As long as SOLJANKA has pickles, olives (I like kalmata), and capers it will be authentic. I like kraut, so I don't mind having it in the soup too. But sometimes I use fresh cabbage, if I don't happen to have kraut. Then I will add a little of the pickle brine from the pickle jar. (Homemade pickles are the best.)
I never make it the same way twice. My offspring call my soups, "Mom-cleaned-out-the-frig-soup", but they always like what it turns out to be. Here is a beginning place to look and try this wonderful, wintry, hearty soup. Look yourself for recipes. You will love SOLJANKA!
http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=351209

I FOUND LINEN TAPE...to dye for!

Thanks to another blogger, I have located linen tape!
http://www.iheartlinen.typepad.com/
I found some in Denmark, but didn't buy it as I was certain that I would find some at home. But ome I got home I was never able to find any. Thanks to Rashida Coleman-Hale's wondrous blog, I know not were to get it.
http://wmboothdraper.com/TapeLace/tapelace.htm#Linen
http://woodedhamlet.com/tapes_braids/dutch_linentape.html

"TOUT LAPIN, TOUT CANARD", DUCK & RABBIT FOR TWO

In Quebec City at 52 Rue Du Petit-Champlainthere is an exquisite little restaurant called le Lapin Sauté. We dined there this fall while staying in eastern Canada. On the menu is an offering called "TOUT LAPIN, TOUT CANARD", duck and rabbit for two. Without hesitation we ordered it! The most divine meal ever. Since returning home, I've been exploring and researching every aspect of the meal to be able to approximate a recreation. Previously I have purchased rabbit from Julia at "My Pharm" in Monroe, Oregon, so getting local farm raised rabbit is not a problem. However, since I like to shake the hand of the farmer who raises my food (if I don't already raise it), I have failed to find the needed duck.

Here are the parts of the meal that I want to recreate and following are the 2 photos (one very large plate) of the meal we shared. Shall never, ever forget it!

Preserved rabbit leg, homemade rabbit “rillettes”, rabbit sausage, preserved duck leg, duck foie gras, smoked duck fillet, with preserved carrots and onions, La Sauvagine cheese, sourdough bread with nuts, beet and apple salad, croûtons, mustard and pickles .

Of course we also shared a dessert and drank some fine French Aramis Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon with the meal.

ROGUE RIVER ADVENTURE ~ Oregon's Wild and Scenic River

We have spent the last 5 days rafting the Rogue River in southern Oregon with 9 other folks. It's not the first time we've done the Rogue, but since it is a river that requires a permit, it's been a few years. It is a lottery permitting system, as the Rogue is a "Wild and Scenic River".
It was great weather and we made some new friends and spent time with long time friends. Last year on another river, we saw our first bears in the wild in Oregon ever. Again this year there were black bears everywhere. No concerns though, as they were pretty preoccupied with 'harvesting' the abundant Oregon blackberries. In most camp sites we also were able to place our food inside of bear proof electric fencing at night.
We also hiked an 8 mile section of the Rogue River Canyon Trail, which allowed a different perspective of the river from above.
We never underestimate the power of the water, always wear PFD and once again no mishaps on the river. A video and a slide show of the trip are here as well.

WONDERFUL REUNION WITH OUR GERMAN FRIEND

WISHING HIM SAFE AND ADVENTUROUS TRAVELS, UNTIL HE RETURNS TO HIS FAMILY IN GERMANY!

A friend of many years, DIETHARD AM-ENDE, from Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany, was here this week. Having a visitor from Germany is not so extraordinary for our family, given that we have some deep and treasured connections with Deutschland and Deutschlanders. But this was was indeed EXTRAORDINARY! Diethard got here for his first visit with us in OUR country, on his BMW GS 800 motorcycle. We're only one stop on his around the world trip. This trip had been a long held dream of Diethard's, who spent nearly all of his life, living behind the Iron Curtain, in the former German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. He left home May 9th, and traveled through Poland, Russian (Siberia), Korea, and Japan, before sending his BMW motorcycle air cargo to Vancouver BC, while he flew there. Once reunited with his chosen mode of transport, he then visited Alaska, much of British Columbia, Washington state and then into Oregon. We enjoyed a great, informative and too short visit with Diethard, and his temporary traveling companion from British Columbia, Michael. Michael will return to BC this coming week, and Diethard will proceed alone, to cross the US from west to east, on a yet undetermined route. We will reunite with Diethard one more time in the Boston area in late August, and hear more about his travels across the US.
We met Diethard many years ago, after the collapse of the Berlin wall, in his hometown. He is now retired but was the headmaster of a primary school. He and I facilitated contact between his students and mine as 'e-pals', something that certainly fostered intercultural appreciation for the German AND American students. We have visited Diethard and his family several times in Johanngeorgenstadt, but this was his first visit to us here.

Ready to roll, and he was off to Crater Lake, the southern Oregon coast and the Redwoods before heading to points east from there.

FOR STACEY & THOM

Last weekend we traveled north to the Portland area to attend the marriage celebration of a special and dear long time friend. Stacey has been a part of our lives since she was a little girl. Our third daughter and Stacey were very close friends. We moved during their adolescent years, but the girls remained friends throughout high school, college and now their adult lives. Stacey is an inspired and gifted teacher. There is a certain kinship there, as I recently retired from the same profession.

The day was a perfect 10! The sun shone brilliantly, the temperature was very moderate and the time spent renewing old acquaintances and making new ones was wonderful. Thom and Stacey are perfectly matched. We were so moved by the exchanges and vows made by each of them. It brought tears to our eyes.

For the occasion I made a textile photo collage. Initially I agonized over what to create. Thom is an artist, and creating something for them was so intimidating. Their incredible photographer, Eric Wolfinger of San Francisco, took photos that captured so well the expansive place, yet also show the essence of intimacy and fun. I sought Eric's permission to use some of the photos, and he was gracious in allowing me to do so, given the goal was to create a gift for Thom and Stacey.

Honestly I have never liked photo collages, as most of the ones I have seen are all too frequently not very imaginative nor do they capture or compliment the people in the photos. I had many false starts, but finally dragged out all of my hand dyed fabrics and spread them before me. Since I NEVER throw anything away, I had many small pieces that I eventually incorporated into the final collage. Stacey and Thom were married last summer on Mount Tamalpais, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Though I was not there, I know that Stacey and Thom incorporated the 4 elements into their ceremony. Whatever I generated, I hoped that earth, wind, fire and water would be evident. I think it was a success. The final judges would be Thom and Stacey. Did they like it? They do, and I am so relieved!

The origami diamonds with hand dyed silk ribbons are the 'wind' elements. The photos are printed on silk with an ink jet printer. All of the fabrics were hand dyed by me, except the blue raw silk in the lower right, some of the origami diamonds, and the white silk surrounding the largest photo. This part of the collage is actually made from a photo of the arrangement that Stacey carried. Above the patchwork is a photo view from the top of Mount Tamalpais, looking out over the islands of San Francisco Bay, and is the element of 'water'. To the left of the photo is a sun, representing the element 'fire'.

I added this little silver embellishment because it seemed to fit these two people and their values and beliefs. Stacey and Thom have genuine and serious concerns for the global community, the sustainability of the planet and certainly the human rights of all citizens of the world. It was made by a Chinese craft person in China, and I have had it for many years. Now seemed to be the right time to use it! The dancing figures under Thom and Stacey are the family and friends who were with them on Mount Tamalpais. The stone beads surrounding the dancing figures represent the element 'earth', but for me anyway, they also represent the 'rock' that friends can be for us. Their placement under the photo of Thom and Stacey eludes to the support dear friends are in good times and not so good times. The fabric surrounding the main photo came from the wedding dress I made for one of our daughters.

MAKING GOAT MILK FETA CHEESE

Making FETA CHEESE is a pretty uncomplicated process, and can be done in any home kitchen. Be sure that you have very clean utensils though. I use a large stainless steel pan and all of my other utensils are stainless as well. A digital thermometer is best. Beyond these, all you'll need is a gallon of farm fresh goat's milk, liquid rennet, buttermilk and non-iodized coarse salt. My local brewing supply store carries rennet and other cheese making supplies, but they are readily available on the Internet as well.

Warm 1 gallon of goat milk to 86º F.

Add 1/4 cup buttermilk and stir well. Let milk set for 1 hour to ripen.

After 1 hour add 1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet to 1/4 cup cool water and add to the milk. Stir gently for 1 minute. Cover and allow to set for another hour. In an hour the milk will have formed a large solid mass. Cut the curd into 1/2 inch pieces. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Stir gently for 15 minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour curds into the colander.

Tie the cheesecloth and hang to drain for 4-6 hours.

Remove the curd ball from the cheesecloth and slice in half. Sprinkle the two hunks of cheese with about 4-5 tablespoons coarse salt. Place the slices on a dish and cover. Let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

After 24 hours salt all the surfaces again. Let the cheese rest for 2 more hours at room temperature. Finally place the cheese into a covered container, refrigerate and allow to age 5-7 days. Use with the next two weeks or wrap and freeze.

I prefer this FETA CHEESE, but for those who like a stronger flavored FETA, the addition of 1/8 teaspoon lipase powder (type K) can be used. The more lipase powder the stronger the cheese will be. It is to be added at the same point as the buttermilk is added. Some cheese makers store the FETA in olive oil and others use a salt water brine. The brine is made with 14 ounces of non-iodized salt to each gallon of cool water. Cheese must be covered with the brine, and aged at 40º to 50º F from 1-4 weeks.