The Jones Cottage

This is a summer of changes around the Jones Cottage. We've been here a year.Most of the time I don't think we accomplish much...










...you know, keeping the house at a minimum level of clean feels like about all we can do. But, I'm learning to give us more credit.

I have been trying to get edible landscaping approved but it looks like that isn't likely to happen. I had even given up on raised beds. Then one day, Andrew came in a said he thought they would be okay in the strip between the driveway and the alley. Great! And, since we are replacing the fence, I knew exactly where I would get the wood to build them.

I have great ideas but not always great follow through. Andrew knows he's going to get sucked into working on something he had no intention of being a part of. Anyways, I built the first box, quickly figured out it was really deep and decided to stagger them. So, the first two boxes are four fence boards deep, the next two are three fence boards deep, and the last two (which I haven't built yet) will be two fence boards deep.

We (notice how Andrew got involved) spent a Saturday finishing these four boxes (building and filling with soil). I would have never gotten them done if Andrew hadn't stepped in when he did. If you followed above, you realize I still have two more to do. I also intend to put in a drip-irrigation system on a timer but I'm thinking that will just have to wait for a while.

Green beans, celery, tomatoes, purple potatoes, peppers, delicata squash, lemon cucumber and basil all made it in this year. It has really amazed me how well everything is doing. It was late in the year, the weather was weird and some of the plants had a rough time before getting in the ground, yet in less than a week everything was going strong.
This picture is from the first week when I planted the green beans. They were seeds Mom and Dad saved from last year. I would say germination was spotty.



















Just one week after planting!

But that isn't all that has been going on. Mom and Dad came up and Dad cut down the awful holly tree in our backyard and the arborvitae in the front yard. Plus, we're getting that new fence!

Maybe there is more going on at the Jones Cottage than I think.

But I Don't Like Spinach!

As I learn to be wheat and dairy free, I am exploring new foods. My current favorite is quinoa. This is the "mother of all grains" and no I'm not cursing. This grain has been a staple crop for thousands of years in South America. It was the Incas that referred to it as the mother of all grains.

For those of us who are sensitive to wheat, it is a great find. It is not technically a grain and is in the Chenopodiaceae family which also includes spinach and beets. It has a balanced set of amino acids which other grains and rice do not have.

Even if you're not sensitive to wheat, it makes a tasty addition to your cupboards and comes in a variety of colors. Use it in place of rice or couscous or as a breakfast cereal. Tonight I combined red quinoa with a fresh fava bean sauce and made a tasty dinner.

Fresh Fava Bean Sauce with Quinoa

4 tsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1 T fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, frozen

salt and pepper, to taste

1 c. cooked, peeled fava beans

1 c. dry quinoa

(garlic powder, cayenne powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dash TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce)

1. Cover chicken breast with water. Add garlic powder, cayenne powder, dried oregano and basil and the Tabasco (I just add a little of this and a little of that). Cover and bring to a boil. Boil until chicken is done. Remove chicken breast to cool and save the "broth."

2. In pan, heat oil and saute garlic until light brown. Add fresh oregano. Add 1/2 c. of reserved chicken broth, 3/4 c. of the fava beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for approximately 3 min. Puree in separte container. Return to pan. Add additional 1/2 c. chicken broth or more to make a sauce. Add remaining 1/4 c. fava beans.

3. Bring 2 c. chicken broth or water as needed to a boil in separate pan. Add quinoa. Bring back to a boil, cover, and turn down to low. Cook about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

4. Dice chicken. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large pan and add chicken. Add cooked quinoa. Pour fava bean sauce over chicken/quinoa and toss. Heat until warm.

5. Enjoy! Goes well with a green salad.

Note: There are a number of ways one could approach this recipe. You could use pre-made chicken broth and pre-cooked chicken. In that case, skip step 1.

Do You Belong...Do You Even Want To?

Most of us want to belong. We want to have that sense of community, of being part of a group.


On one hand, I want to be an individual. I've been taught my entire life to be an individual, yet being an individual isn't always enough. Is this a character flaw? At times it would feel as if it is. I should be strong enough to do things on my own. I don't want to have to rely on others. I'll do it myself! Yet, I still seek out community in my life. I want to be part of a group.

According to Sarason (Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Yale University), sense of community is “the perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what one expects from them, and the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable structure.” Others have defined sense of community as “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together.”

A problem can arise when you don't have a perception of similarity. It's us vs them, but what about when feel like you're neither an us or a them? What if you feel like both.

Can you really be both?

Some days I'm not sure where I am. I feel pulled in many different directions. You see me one way, she sees me another way, and I don't see myself either way. None of these things are negatives, they are just opportunities to look outside of ourselves and open up to the greater world. If you don't feel the need to belong, good for you, I guess. If you do, maybe you want to think about the different groups and how you belong to each. What strengths do you see in your various groups? What are they sharing with and teaching to you? What are you providing in return? Each of us has talents and strengths that we share with those around us. Many times we don't even realize what those talents or strengths might be. Sit down with an honest friend some time and ask them what they see as your strengths or talents. It might just surprise you!

Maybe you belong more than you think and matter to those in your community! And, others are committed to you and you to them, even if you think you have to be an individual and don't yet know how to ask for those things you need.

A Great Day: Amish Friendship Bread, Morels, and One Large Malamute

This, my friends, is my story.

It started by meeting Stacie and her malamute, Taiga, at her house in Adair Village. (Psst, this is where the malamute comes in. All 105 pounds of him.) We load my stuff into the truck and we're off to Corvallis. At OSU, we add Lisa, Annie, and Jane. Five women and Taiga. A great day!

After we load their stuff, the three of them pile into the back seat with Taiga as a foot warmer. Annie and Jane brought fresh baked Amish friendship bread. You've all seen it, the one that grows exponetially. One bag turns into five! They figured, bake it and they will eat it. Little did they know the nature of the beast.

It opens tin cans with it's teeth for a snack. Pulls pots off the stove without spilling a drop. Opens the refrigerator to rummage when needed. Honestly, they didn't stand a chance.

Annie figured, one slice, we'll give Taiga one slice. That will keep him busy or maybe even satisfy. What was thought to be a foot warmer soon turned into performance art. A slip of the hand and a very quick dog was all it took for that loaf of bread to be on the floor and rapidly consumed...by canine lips. Other than retrieving the aluminum foil that once housed the bread, no human hands were needed.

After the shock dissipated a bit, we were all on the road. Our goal? The elusive morel.

But, first lunch in Sisters at the Coyote Cafe. They have a nice patio when you have a three day funk after a backpacking trip. Today, I got to eat inside (no three day funk and all) and actually eat how I should. Veggie protein bowl - lemon pepper chicken over snow peas and carrots.

While we may not have been prepared for the beast, we were prepared for morels.

I did mention this dog has a thing about food, right? That's him, eyeballing Lisa's avocado. Turns out he wasn't all that interested in Annie's pretzels though!

Unfortunately, our actual mushroom hunting was much less eventful than our morning. We went to a number of places that might produce but really didn't find much. I will brag though and tell you, of the 6 or so we did find, I found the first two. Really, they count as two right, even if they're connected?

Oh well, we think maybe we were just a bit early. With a lot of snow left on the pass, things on the east side are just now starting to thaw. It was still a great day. Any day, not working, spending time with great people, looking for mushrooms, is a great day!

Below, are my two little morels... as still life.

Just a table?

What makes a piece of furniture valuable? Is it quality, availability, color, look, versatility, or society even? Is it valuable because it's old, because your grandma had one? Or, is it valuable because it's new and doesn't remind you of your childhood? Does it have to "match" or does it have value on it's own - separate from anything else you may own?

Andy and I have been looking for a dining table for about a year now. But not just any table...it had to be the perfect table. Not a lot of moolah, maybe modern, maybe old. Probably light colored. Not sure. Not sure, you say. Why yes, not sure. That was the biggest problem.

Once in a while, we'd go to a furniture store. Or, I'd email Andy a Craigslist posting. Nothing struck us...that is, until last week. Old, simple, versatile and I was sure I could get the price down.

After borrowing a truck on Saturday, we went to check her out. She's been loved but is solid and has great lines. And, I talked them down $100. We loaded her up and brought her home.

Wednesday, Katr and I decided to figure out just what she is. Previous owners thought Duncan Phyfe but "couldn't find anything." It took us all of 2 minutes to think the stamp on the bottom of the chairs said, "Heywood Wakefield" and about another minute to find a fully legible stamp on the table itself. So much for not finding anything! Built between 1948 and 1955 or so. And, possibly to the right people, worth much more than the $350 we payed.

This company wants nearly $4000 for a refinished version (our chairs are a little different). I also saw people trying to sell the table, alone, for $700-1500. I don't think I would have ever payed that much - for us it's just a very practical table. But, I do feel like doing a little "I got a deal" dance!

Wanna join me?