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I Never Unpack

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I Never Unpack

Tag Archives: Family

Where’s Grandpa?…and Chocolate Depression Cake

29 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Cake, Desseert, Nature, Photography

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Dessert, Family, Food, Life, Nature

As does most of the rest of our country, as does most of the rest of the world, we find ourselves confined for the most part to our homes and our yards. If we follow the guidelines we have been given, we can go out for groceries, medicine, gas, and a walk in a local park or our own neighborhood.

It is during this period of “Stay Home, Save Lives” that I am so grateful for the opportunity to go out into the natural world. It is during this moment that I am so grateful to be able to connect with family members on various social media platforms. Nature and family…my two favorite things. And that got me to thinking…

We went to our hometown conservation area the other day to look for spring. Spring is truly breaking out, so we walked and walked. I was on my way through the woods looking for wildflowers, when I turned around to see if Jim was behind me. He was, but I could not see him for a minute or so. And then, suddenly, I knew he was coming…it was his red St Louis Cardinals hat that gave him away (Oh, how I miss baseball!). And that gave me an idea for interacting with my youngest grandchildren. I sent them two pictures, and asked them to find Grandpa. It is so fun to find a way to be close to them, and give them the opportunity to respond in some sort of shared activity.

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Where’s Opa? Look for the red hat!

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Where’s Grandpa?

Since we are told we can safely go to parks and nature areas, Jim and I do so at least once or twice a week. Other days we walk in our neighborhood, or just visit our own yard. It is so nice to see spring unfolding, and new life returning. I hope you enjoy these pictures of what we have found…not too far from home.

I love encountering wildlife! These Canada Geese are a resident pair at Bray Conservaton Area. They return each and every year to build a nest and raise their goslings to the age when they are ready to strike out on their own. The little orange skipper was a special treat!

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Walking in the neighborhood and in the conservation area, we find many wildflowers beginning to appear among the dry leaves of autumn and winter.

Mayapple
Mayapple
A spring Aster
A spring Aster
Spring Beauty
Spring Beauty
Toothwort
Toothwort
Pussy Toes
Pussy Toes
Hairy Bitter Cress
Hairy Bitter Cress

But what I love the most on these early spring walkabouts are the lichen and the mosses.

Reindeer lichen is so pretty as it grows with the other mosses.
Reindeer lichen is so pretty as it grows with the other mosses.
New growth
New growth
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I love the small maidenhair fern coming through the moss.
I love the small maidenhair fern coming through the moss.

Coming home from one of our walks to a lawn full of violets just makes for a big smile and a better day…

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…and then I always feel like cooking, or baking, making some kind of treat to end a great day, no matter what the news is reporting.

Using What I Have

I go shopping once a week during the seniors hour early in the morning. Tomorrow is shopping day, so we are low on a few things…like milk. My daughter-in-law mentioned that she had made a cake with out milk or eggs called Vanilla Depression Cake. That seemed like something I could pull off, and as I looked for the ingredients I would need I found some cocoa way in the back of the cupboard. Chocolate Depression Cake, why yes, thank you very much!

During the Depression years, homemakers tried to make tasty treats for their families even when the cupboard was almost empty. Depression Cake was first developed during this very hard time for our nation. It had to put smiles on otherwise worried and distracted faces, because it is really delicious. I like to think of Depression Cake as proof that you really do not need a lot to show your love, you only need the desire to show that love to those around you…and a bit of creativity.

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Chocolate Depression Cake

  • Servings: 9
  • Print

A great way to make a great treat with no eggs and no flour.

Credit: Adapted from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 1/3 c. vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • confectioners sugar for dusting the baked cake

Directions

  1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda.
  2. In another bowl, combine vanilla, vinegar, oil and water.
  3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until completely combined and no lumps remain.
  4. Bake in a greased 8×8 pan at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  5. Allow cake to cool completely and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Enjoy!

Remember, we are all in this together…God bless and keep each of us!

 

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The World’s Biggest Library and Autumn Brussels Sprouts

26 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Photography, Side Dishes, Travel, Washington D.C.

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

DC, Family, Food, Travel

We recently took a trip to Maryland to visit our grandson…and his parents, too! Our son’s family lives about thirty miles east of Washington DC, so more often that not, we take one day of our stay to visit our nation’s capital. Our primary aim on this visit was the Library of Congress.

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The library was established on April 24, 1800, an integral part of the new nation’s move to its new capital city in Washington, DC.  At its opening, the library was housed within the Capitol building, and held a total of 740 books and three maps.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, the British burned the Capitol, and with it the Library of Congress, destroying most of its collected 3000 books. To refill the shelves, Congress appropriated the funds to purchase the library of Thomas Jefferson which contained 6,487 books, and represented a large number of  topics from many disciplines.

The library suffered another destructive fire in 1851, which destroyed all but 2,000 of the 35,000 books that had been collected following the first fire. Many of the books lost were from Jefferson’s original library.

The Library’s current building opened in 1897. Its architecture draws on the Beaux Arts style, known for its ornamentation and theatrical atmosphere. It was built to last, using marble, granite, iron, bronze and mahogany. It seems that Congress and the architects wanted to do whatever they could to avoid another disastrous fire.

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The dome of the new building is plated with 23 karat gold. The plated dome is inside the library’s Main Reading Room, open only to scheduled tours, members of Congress, and government officials.

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While we were not able to arrange a tour of the Main Reading Room, we were able to visit the library of Thomas Jefferson.

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Our grandson was so excited all day, and could hardly wait until he could see the library of his “favorite” President. As you can see by his picture, he was devastated to find that, for their own protection, all of the books in Jefferson’s library are kept behind glass.

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He perked up when he helped his dad find the books that were actually owned by Jefferson. Tabs within the books tell which are his original books, and which are replacements the library has found to replace the many that were lost in the fire. Those that have not been replaced are represented by empty white boxes bearing the name of the missing book.

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The Library of Congress is truly a national treasure, as can be seen by the pictures I could not stop taking. I have included but a few in this post…

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In 2018, the library reported holding 168,291,624 items, with its more than 90 million books held on a total of 540 miles of bookshelves, making it the largest library in the world. This number is always changing, and these are the latest figures I could find. The items in the library represent more than 450 languages.

Items in the library can be checked out only by Congress, government officials and employees of the library.

My favorite items in the library were the Gutenberg Bible, and the Waldseemüller map of 1507.

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This Bible is one of only four remaining original Bibles printed on vellum by Johann Gutenberg, and completed in 1455. The other three remaining copies are located in London, Paris, and in Gutenberg’s native country of Germany.

gutenberg bible

In 1507, Martin Waldseemüller created this map of the world. It is the first map to depict the New World as a completely separate land mass. Waldseemüller named this new land mass “America”.

After leaving the library we walked to a nearby restaurant and had that all-American dish, pizza! I love eating in Washington, and strolling its streets just as comfortably as I walk the streets in my own hometown. But the best part is to feel how open and free we are, and can be, in this big, wide, wonderful country. We have our problems right now, but as I watched my son read to our grandson on the lawn of the Capitol, then watched as Luke did somersaults in the shadow of its governing bodies, I felt renewed hope that we will find the resolve to come back together and feel the shared pride of being Americans.

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On the Top of the Kennedy Center

For our Birthday and Christmas presents, our son and daughter-in-law sent us to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to hear the Washington DC Symphony following dinner at the Roof Terrace Restaurant atop the Center. What a magnificent evening! The acoustics in the hall were amazing,  and it was a truly special night.

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Our son told us to bring some dressy clothes...I forgot how handsome Jim looks in a white shirt and tie!
Our son told us to bring some dressy clothes…I forgot how handsome Jim looks in a white shirt and tie!
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dennedy centere

The dish I had at the restaurant was salmon with Brussels sprouts in a brown butter sauce. It was amazing, so I tried to make a similar side dish at home. My recipe is slightly adapted from one I found on the Challenge Dairy site.

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Autumn Brussels Sprouts

  • Time: about 30 minutes
  • Print

A delicious, easy side dish for all those holiday meals coming your way

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 1/3 c. raw hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 c. dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°
  2. Melt butter with the hazelnuts in a small pan over medium-high heat until the butter is browned and has a pleasant nutty smell, about 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully, it can easily get too brown.
  3. Toss the Brussels sprouts, browned butter and hazelnuts, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  4. Spread mixture on a foil lined baking sheet
  5. Roast in oven for 5 minutes.
  6. After 5 minutes, add the dried cranberries. Bake for 5 more minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender. Don’t let them or the cranberries bake too long!
  7. Adjust the seasonings (I added more salt), sprinkle the top of the dish with about a tsp. of grated lemon rind and serve.

Enjoy!

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Our Own Apples From Our Own Yard…One Colonial Dessert

24 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Breakfast, Dessert, Egg Dish, Food, Photography

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Breakfast, Dessert, Egg Dish, Family, Food, photography

A couple activities came together nicely for me this week…

The first happened around our apple tree…

Many years ago, one of our sons gave us an apple tree, something we had wanted for a very long time. I am not exaggerating when I say many years ago, for it has to be at least fifteen. For the first ten years we had never once seen an apple on that tree. It blossomed beautifully each and every year, but produced no apples. Then we learned it takes two apple trees to produce apples, so we purchased another tree of a different variety of apple. And we waited…and waited…

Until three year ago when, finally we found apples developing on the original tree. We were so excited, and could hardly wait to eat the very first apples from our own backyard.

We left on vacation, and when we returned, every single one of those apples was gone…seriously, every single one. I blamed raccoons, squirrels, opossums, deer (remember, I live in the city), and even wondered if there were not some hungry teenagers lurking around in the dark enjoying our anticipated harvest while we were away. For two more years, we had the same result…even if we did not go out of town.

Then, this year, the trees blossomed, apples appeared…

and apples remained. I wanted so badly to pick those apples, but I waited. Finally, I went out and picked apples. I was willing to share…I brought some into the house, and left a large number, particularly those high up in the tree that I could not reach, for any creatures that had enjoyed our apples in the past.

The apples were not the most beautiful, but they were ours, and they were absolutely delicious…

Now on to the second part of my story. Every couple of years, I get the urge to go through every item we own. I am supposed to be down-sizing when I do this, not sure how successful I am at that aspect of my sorting.

As I was going through all the cookbooks I have purchased at different historical sites across the country and abroad, I came across a small book I purchased at one of the sites. It brought back so many memories of trips we have taken with our children and our grandchildren.

A spread of food items at Colonial Williamsburg. You can see our granddaughter eyeing them, wishing she might just have some.
A spread of food items at Colonial Williamsburg. You can see our granddaughter eyeing them, wishing she might just have some.
A typical colonial herb garden
A typical colonial herb garden
Ladies enjoying tea in the garden as they discuss the events of the day.
Ladies enjoying tea in the garden as they discuss the events of the day.

One of the recipes in the book was for Apple Tansey. I thought how fun it would be to make something from the apples in our own yard, just as colonial Americans made dishes from the apples in their own yards.

The recipe calls for three pippins, so I did some research…

The Algonquin Indians introduced apples to European colonists living in Quebec. We are not sure about the variety of those first apples. A pippin is a variety of apple that was cultivated in the American colonies, and still is today. It is apparently not the best eating apple, but makes very good apple cider.

The recipe for Apple Tansey is written in paragraph form, so I have tried to put it in some kind of acceptable recipe format. I also determined some of the measurements myself, since some of the items were not written with regard to amount.

It was delicious! Though meant to be a dessert after a family meal in colonial times, it made a great breakfast for us…especially after we drizzled it with some authentic Vermont maple syrup…

Fresh apples frying in butter in a cast iron frying pan.

Not the prettiest presentation, but I put it on a fancy heritage plate…and Jim was dutifully impressed!

All in all it was a great week…getting our own apples, sorting through the moments of our lives, enjoying an old fashioned dessert on an old fashioned plate, in our almost one hundred year old house. Life can be so much fun sometimes!

Apple Tansey

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Print

A great apple dessert or breakfast entree.

This recipe is adapted from “Colonial Food”, by Ann Chandonnet. It was published in 2013 by Shire Publications in Great Britain.

Ingredients

  • 3 pippins (cooking apples of your choice)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. butter
  • 6 Tbsp. half and half
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • dash of nutmeg

Directions

  1. Core the apples, peel , and slice them round in thin slices.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Fry the apples in the melted butter until soft, but not browned.
  4. Mix together the 4 eggs, sugar, half and half, and nutmeg.
  5. Pour the egg mixture over the apples and let them fry until set, lowering the heat if you need to in order that it does not get too brown on the bottom.. Lift the sides of the eggs, allowing the uncooked portions to slide to the bottom and cook.
  6. Turn out onto a plate. Sprinkle with sugar and serve.
  7. Drizzle with maple syrup for an added treat!

Enjoy!

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The Oregon Coast, and Oregon Style Salmon Cakes

01 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Fish, Food, Oregon, Photography, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Family, Fish Dishes, Food, Nature, Oregon, photography, Travel

Here, in the great Midwest, here in Missouri, winter has not been a spectacular season. It has been, quite often, very cold…but without snow, and I believe that cold without snow is a waste of freezing temperatures. When we have had precipitation, it has been rain. The rain is much welcome, since we have been in drought conditions for some time now…but, snow melts into fresh water! I do not want anyone to believe I enjoy ice on the roads, but in a winter like we have had, a little ice on the bare branches of our trees has been a glittery, welcome sight on two occasions. As you can tell, winter fatigue has set in.

So, I remember the ocean, the Oregon sunshine, the walks on the beach with some of our family, the rocks I explored that I knew nothing about, and best of all…the sea creatures I got to see up close and personal.

The Pacific Ocean meets the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon.

I have written a couple posts about our trip to Oregon last summer, but now I want to share my favorite part…our week on the Pacific Ocean in Lincoln City. Each and every  morning, we awoke to the foggy layer that covers the ocean at sunrise, and watched it as it lifted and left a crystal day. Each night we went to sleep after watching the sun set off our patio…

The view from our beach house, where…

we watched the sun set each and every evening.

Each morning we got up, had breakfast, and went out to explore…up and down the coastline. The waters off the Oregon coast are pretty cold, too cold for most of us to swim in, but that did not mean we did not get wet, we did not tempt the waves, nor that we did not climb back in the car, many times, with really cold toes.

Our first big stop was Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport. We walked on the rocky beach to peer into the tide pools, and looked across the rocks and into the sky to find other wildlife. The two kids were awestruck…so were the big “kids”.

Peering into the tide pool

Sea anemones are amazing creatures

It did not matter that walking was challenging, because…

well…because getting to a new place to explore was the name of the game.

“Look at that, Luke!”

Look at all those birds…and what could this be!

And the birds…so many on the rocks of Yaquina Head. Many birds come here to nest.

Common Murres on a rock
Common Murres on a rock
So many Cormorants, and...
So many Cormorants, and…
a nesting Cormorant.
a nesting Cormorant.

And my personal favorite…the seals…

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We also visited the light house at Yaquina Head, a most beautiful backdrop to the tide pools…

and we stopped to take pictures of the scenery on our way.

 

 

Another day we traveled to the Neskowin Ghost Forest…also known as the petrified beach. In the winter of 1997-1998, heavy storms uncovered the petrified remains of ancient sitka spruce trees that had been buried for centuries. At one time, possibly as many as 2000 years ago, these trees were part of a forest that was destroyed. Many believe the forest was destroyed by an earthquake or a tsunami. While we will never know for sure what destroyed the forest, what remains is a beautiful, almost haunting area of ocean fog, and over 100 petrified stumps.

Walking out to the petrified beach

Petrified stumps of ancient sitka spruce along the beach at Neskowin.
Petrified stumps of ancient sitka spruce along the beach at Neskowin.
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There is something mystical and magic about this place…

But I have saved the very best for last. Not far from our beach house was a place, known to locals as the Secret Beach…and several people I spoke with indicated they wanted to keep it that way. We were so happy the owner of our rental house shared its location with us. It was to the Secret Beach that we went to walk, to explore, to hide behind big rocks, to run until we were exhausted, where I went to draw, and to gaze out on the ocean, knowing we could stay only until the tide came rushing back in.

Enter our Secret Beach…

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The scenery was incredible, but for me, the ocean life exposed at low tide was the most amazing. It would have been impossible to count the number of sea stars and the number of sea anemones we saw. Here is but a sampling…

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And then there was this little guy…

What an extraordinary trip it was to the Pacific Coast of Oregon…and now I am ready for warmer weather, further travels, and new discoveries! I hope you can find a secret beach, a secret forest…a secret and special place to relax too! I just can’t tell you where our secret beach is!

Oregon Style Salmon Cakes

I remember when I was a little girl, and my mom used to make “salmon patties”. The prize for each of us four siblings was finding the little, chewy bones in the salmon. These salmon cakes remind me of those patties mom used to make, but maybe just a little bit better…and I still look for those little bones as a special treat.

Oregon Style Salmon Cakes

  • Servings: 6 patties
  • Time: 30
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

This is a delicious way to get dinner on the table in half an hour using a can of salmon.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14.75 oz.) can of high quality salmon
  • 2Tbsp. butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup cracker crumbs
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1 Tbsp. dried
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard, plain mustard will work just fine
  • 3 Tbsp. shortening

Directions

  1. Drain the salmon, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of the liquid. Flake the meat.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until translucent.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the onions with the reserved salmon liquid, 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs, eggs, parsley, mustard and salmon. Start with 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid and add more if the mixture is too dry.
  4. Mix until blended, and form into six cakes.
  5. Coat each cake in the remaining cracker crumbs, and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on each salmon cake.
  6. Fry salmon cakes in shortening, turning once, to brown on both sides.

Enjoy!

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We Are Pedestrians In An Un-Pedestrian World

07 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Family, Oregon, Photography, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Family, photography, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge

To be a pedestrian is to walk, and to be pedestrian is to be ordinary, perhaps even boring.

While in Oregon this summer, we walked and walked and walked. We were pedestrians in a world we had never seen before. And as we moved along, we discovered, and we walked into, around, and through experiences we had previously only lived vicariously through videos and books, on-line shares from friends, and travelogues. It was a new world for us…and it was anything but pedestrian.

This post is in response to the Weekly Photos Challenge.

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The City of Roses…and Sweet Cherry Caflouti

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Family, Food, Oregon, Photography, Sweet Treats, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Family, Food, Oregon, photography, Sweet Treats, Travel

It has been a busy summer, and as autumn begins, I once again have the opportunity  to return to my simple indoor pleasures. The garden has, for the most part, run its course, travel has slowed down (though it never really stops), and I can reflect on the places we have gone and the things we have seen.

We try, and always succeed, in seeing each of our five children scattered across the country at least once a year. This summer we joined our daughter’s family from Minnesota, and our son’s family from Maryland on the Oregon coast for a most fantastic vacation. My next several postings will be devoted to our trip and the many things we saw, and the many things we did.

Our first stop was Portland, “The City of Roses”. Our three families flew into Portland, where we spent several days exploring the city, getting a feel for its inhabitants, and relaxing in a small house, on a corner lot, in an old and historic neighborhood.

What a charming little place to spend time with family.

Portland is the largest city in Oregon. It is located at the foot of Mt. Hood, and at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

Before European settlement, many Native Americans of the Chinook made this area their home. The thousands of Chinook from the Clackimas and Multnomah bands made this area the most densely populated on the Pacific Coast.

When streams of settlers traveling the Oregon Trail began arriving on the west coast of the American Northwest, they could not help but notice the vast forests. Two of these settlers, William Overton and his friend, Asa Lovejoy staked out a claim, cleared many of the trees in a business venture, built roads, and erected the first buildings in the area. Eventually, Overton moved on, selling his share of the settlement to Francis Pettigrove. As the settlement grew and prospered, it was called  “The Clearing”, and “Stumptown”, but finally, in 1845 it was decided by virtue of a coin toss between Pettigrove and Overton, that the town would be called Portland.

Early settlers found vast forests in the area that now encompasses the city of Portland.

By 1850, Portland had approximately 800 residents, and the town was incorporated in 1851. Industry in the area was benefited by its location on the newly laid railroad. Workers in Portland made their living in lumber, fishing, growing wheat, and raising cattle. Over the years Portland has grown to be the second largest city in the Northwest.

A few scenes from Portland…

Downtown Portland...
Downtown Portland…
the entrance to Chinatown in Portland's Old Town...
the entrance to Chinatown in Portland’s Old Town…
and apparently, according to my husband, son, and son-in-law, you cannot visit Portland without eating and drinking at Deschutes Brewery
and apparently, according to my husband, son, and son-in-law, you cannot visit Portland without eating and drinking at Deschutes Brewery
Portland on the Willamette River.
Portland on the Willamette River.

Our first big outing was to the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland’s Old Town…what an amazing place. We wandered around the garden for quite some time, marveling at the beautiful flowers and plants and enjoying the kids as they enjoyed the huge koi! But one of the best parts of this visit was our lunch at the Tea Room. We ordered several items and shared them all around.

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Both the grandchildren enjoyed watching the fish in the pond…

and our granddaughter could have stayed right here for hours listening to the soothing, beautiful music…

Another day we traveled to the International Test Rose Garden in Washington Park. Pictures do a much better job than words ever could to describe this beautiful place…

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We met friends of our son’s at Washington Park to give the children an opportunity to play on the  playground. While they played, and wore their parents out, I took a walk along one of the paths and realized for the first time that I was actually in the rain forest…

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We wandered around Portland for several days, enjoying the sites using their mass transit. One of my favorite places to visit was Powell’s Books, the largest independent book store in the world. I cannot believe I did not take a picture…guess I was too busy buying books, and wondering how on earth I would get them all home in my luggage…on a plane with weight restrictions. I did it, but it wasn’t easy, and Jim’s luggage was suddenly heavier than he remembered it on the flight here. And to round out one very busy day, we stopped for some of Portland’s famous Voodoo Doughnuts. Oh, how the two kids enjoyed those!

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And on our way out of Portland, we stopped at another of their magnificent parks for a picnic lunch…as we headed to the coast, and a beach house on a hillside. But more about that in another post!

Tired kids, tired grandpa…on our way further west…

Sweet Cherries…Sweet Treat

Some of the best sweet cherries, known as Bing cherries, are grown in the American Northwest. Here is a slightly adapted recipe for a sweet cherry caflouti from the Portland Farmers Market. A caflouti is a custrdy cake which originated in Southern France…and it is really delicious.

Sweet Cherry Caflouti

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. milk, warmed just a bit
  • 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp. amaretto (optional; you may substitute 1 Tbsp. of pure almond extract)
  • 1 lb. of sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
  • a bit of confectioners sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and make a well in the middle.
  2. Add the milk, eggs and amaretto.
  3. Stir the mixture together with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be similar to heavy cream.
  4. Butter the bottom of a cast iron frying pan with the butter, and cover evenly with the cherries.
  5. Pour the batter over the cherries and bake at 375 degrees on the middle rack of the oven until the clafouti is firm, about 35- 45 minutes.
  6. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
  7. Dust with a bit of confectioners sugar. and serve warm.

Enjoy!

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Welcome to Autumn

22 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Family, Life, Nature, Photography

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Family, Life, Nature, photography

Let me just start by saying…I love autumn. I love the colors of autumn, the temperatures of autumn (even if today is going to be an unusual 93 degree day here in Missouri), the foods of autumn, the crispness of the morning air that accompanies autumn. But…

on this first day of autumn, 2017, the world seems a different place, outside my front door, as well as inside my back door. I cannot wrap my head around what is happening in the world, but I can try to put it aside for a while, close it out…and so I do. But…

then, as I look at my inside world, I notice it changing also. Things that used to be so easy are not easy anymore. Change is not only in the seasons, it is a part of life, sometimes welcome, sometimes not so much so. My challenge this autumn is to find the change worth cherishing, to find the change that covers up the losses that come naturally. And so, as always, I went for a walk…

I have discovered over the last couple years that goldenrod is one of my favorite flowers, and it explodes in the late summer taking us into autumn.
I have discovered over the last couple years that goldenrod is one of my favorite flowers, and it explodes in the late summer taking us into autumn.
Asters are incredible, and the bees are very busy this time of year.
Asters are incredible, and the bees are very busy this time of year.
The colors in Missouri are just beginning to change...yes!
The colors in Missouri are just beginning to change…yes!
Chrysanthemums have always been one of my favorite flowers, they remind me of my home growing up.
Chrysanthemums have always been one of my favorite flowers, they remind me of my home growing up.

And as I walked, I found those things that go out of season to make room for those things I so love in autumn like these sunflowers that were so beautiful a couple months ago, and are now spent until their season returns…

and I found life hanging on as long as it is able…

This rose, a Mother's Day gift from so long ago,,,
This rose, a Mother’s Day gift from so long ago,,,
and these tomatoes, hanging on for us to still enjoy.
and these tomatoes, hanging on for us to still enjoy.

and the highlight of my walk was this monarch chrysalis on our garage siding, getting ready to start a brand new life and a brand new journey…

So, as I come back inside my back door, I understand that there is a certain melancholy to this first day of autumn, 2017…

But I will not let it last for long…because there are apples to pick. There are pumpkins out there I need to turn into my favorite dessert, pumpkin pie. There are crisp, cool mornings to take walks while listening to the leaves crinkle beneath my feet. And best of all, there are holidays to prepare for, and that means family!

Yeah, life, it is changing…my challenge is to keep up with the change as best I can, cherish it, and plan for it! Now where is that 9 inch pie pan!

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An American Story…and Grandma Minnie’s Cookies

14 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Cookies, Family

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Cookies, Family

This post will be a bit of a departure from those I typically write. As I have listened to the various voices concerning the issues surrounding immigration, I have begun to think of my own family, one that has been a part of the American fabric for many generations. But way back in the 1800’s, my family were immigrants, too. So, I decided to dig deep into the boxes I have that are full of pictures and memorabilia, nudging my memories, and giving me new understandings about the generations that came before me.

It is not a particularly exciting American story. It is, rather, a fairly ordinary story of people looking for a better life, a new home, a better place to settle and raise a family. So many other Americans have a very similar, pretty ordinary story. That is part of who we are as a people, a nation…that our ancestors were able to come here with little drama, but a whole lot of yearning.

“Abba, lieber Vater, Amen”…this is the very first prayer I ever learned. It is the prayer my father taught me when I was very young. His is the family about which I know the most. His ancestry was German and Prussian.

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My father was born in Redbud, Illinois. He was the second child, and the oldest son of my grandparents. Theirs was a German Lutheran family, and the church was the center of their religious life, as well as their social life.

It always amazes me to hear people talk about how important it is for immigrants to learn to speak English. Well, of course it is! English is the language spoken in this county. But when western European immigrants came to this country, they more often than not, did not speak English, and they worked hard to learn English after their arrival. But they also hung on to their mother tongue, always using it in their homes, teaching it to their children, and in German Lutheran communities, they attended worship services conducted in German. My dad, who was born in America, and my grandparents, who were also born here, attended German church services in Wartburg, Illinois for many years. Until my father was nine years old, and he moved to Detroit, he attended German Lutheran school, where all the classes were in German, while the students also learned to speak a better English. I always thought it was really impressive that my dad was bilingual. I did not, however, think it cool when he and my grandparents spoke German to one another, so that my siblings and I could not understand what they were saying.

So my father teaching me a simple German prayer was not a sign that he was not a “real American”. It was his attempt to bring me into the history of the family, his way of sharing with me his heritage, his faith, and all the things he wished for me to understand as important.

When my father was nine, his father declared bankruptcy and lost his family farm. He moved to Detroit, where he worked for the Detroit utility company until his retirement. Grandpa was a teddy bear of a man, and I loved him dearly. When I spent the night with my grandparents, he would always take me to see the bride in the window of the bridal shop on Livernois Avenue…one of my most treasured memories. He also always took me for ice cream on our walks to the market, making me promise to never tell grandma. Somehow I always suspected she knew. He was also a proud and honest man. I was always proud of his German stubbornness and that German pride that made him pay back every penny he owed, though with his bankruptcy declaration he would have never been required to repay any of his debt.

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Though my grandparents had five children, only two of them grew to adulthood. Both my father and my uncle served in the armed forces during World War II, my dad as a Seabee, and my uncle as an Army pilot. While flying cover for General Patton’s army in the Battle of the Bulge, my uncle was shot down over enemy territory. He was reported missing and presumed dead. I always wondered how my grandmother was able to go on, having lost three children, and then learning of the assumed loss of one of the only two children she had left. And then a miracle happened. My father, stationed in Ireland, received word that it was possible his brother had been located in a hospital in France. He was given leave to check on the truth of the report, and did indeed find his brother in a French hospital with an injury to his left arm that would leave him with a lifelong disability. I can only imagine the joy that filled my grandparents house when they received the news.

And so it goes. My father and my uncle both had families, and those families now have families. We are all-American, and we seldom think about where our roots are…across the Atlantic Ocean in a far away country most of us will never see.

I guess the whole point of this post is to remind everyone that we are all from somewhere else. We are all Americans, and our ancestral traditions, the various heritages we represent, are the things about all of us that have made this American quilt, this American experiment, this American greatness, so amazing.

Don’t worry that the immigrant does not speak English upon his arrival. He will learn the language if we help him. My dad spoke German to his dying day, and he had a good command of the English language as well…I envy that.

Don’t worry that the immigrant may need assistance upon arrival. He will “pick himself up by his bootstraps” if we give him a fair chance, if we help him. My grandfather, a second generation American lost everything, and owed a lot of money to a lot of people. He not only picked himself up, he honored every debt he ever incurred. I am so very proud of this grandfather whom I adored.

Don’t worry about the honor of your own forefathers, nor grant them special commendation, who fought the wars that have kept us safe and secure between two oceans. They did not fight those wars to save this nation only for those who were already here. America is not that nation. My father and my uncle were third generation Americans who fought to save the world from the madness of World War II. Many immigrants, here in this country now, are fighting alongside natural born citizens to protect us from the madness we have in our world today, as well as the madness that comes occasionally to the home front. Turning our backs on our new immigrants will only turn them against us, and they will choose to fight against us, instead of for us. Turning our backs on refugees who want to become immigrants, as they escape the horrors in their own homelands, will have the same effect.

Wherever you come from, wherever your neighbor comes from, wherever that young family getting off that refugee flight as a new immigrant to this nation comes form, understand we can all find a place here. We can keep America as great as it has always been…as long as we realize we are all in this together! Maybe we can make it even better, by realizing that this quilt will never, ever, be quite finished.

Grandma Minnie’s Cookies…Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is the original copy of the recipe as written by my Aunt Helen for my Grandma Minnie.
This is the original copy of the recipe as written by my Aunt Helen for my Grandma Minnie.
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I first posted this recipe two years ago in one of my very first posts about growing up in Detroit. I have tweaked it a bit here, giving more complete instructions than are found on the original copy, and making it with lard rather than the drippings my grandmother often used. They are really good…they remind me of family, and they bring a smile to my face. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  • Servings: 4-5 dozen cookies
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 c sugar
  • 1/2 c lard
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 c. sour milk*
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 c. dry rolled oats
  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Cream together the sugar, lard, and butter.
  2. Mix in the eggs and sour milk.
  3. In another bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Add these to the creamed mixture, and mix until combined.
  4. Stir in the rolled oats, raisins, and chopped nuts.
  5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, greased the first time only.
  6. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes

*You can make sour milk by putting 1/2 Tbsp. of vinegar in a 1/2 c. measuring cup, then filling with milk to the top. Let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the dough.

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Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #4…Fort Osage and Chocolate Spice Cake

03 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Cake, Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, Photography, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Cakes, Family, Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, photography, Travel

  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  • Destination 4-Fort Osage National Historic Landmark

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Fort Osage National Historic Landmark

As we continue on our journey to all the National Park sites in our state of Missouri, our next stop is Fort Osage National Historic Landmark, a reconstructed fort which sits on a bluff above the Missouri River in Sibley, Missouri.

Following the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the United States government wanted to set up a system in which they would interact commercially with the Native Americans encountered by the Corps of Discovery on their long journey west. France and Britain were already involved in trading relations with the natives, as were the various tribes with each other.

At the same time, the United States needed more land for its ever-westward moving population, land that had, for centuries, been inhabited by native peoples. The best way to accomplish this would be to “civilize” the natives…teach them to live as an agricultural society on smaller spaces, dependent on trade and government protection. To these ends, the US government built Fort Osage, and William Clark signed the Osage Treaty of 1808 with the Native American people living in the area governed by the fort. Under the terms of the treaty, the Osage ceded land to the United States, while the government promised to protect the Osage people.

First, let’s take a look at the trading site. The “Factory” was a store, so to speak, where trade with the Osage would be conducted. Furs were the item the Native Americans provided in exchange for such things as blankets, guns, tools, and cookware provided by the Americans. As time went on, the Osage were encouraged to start small business ventures, such as candle-making. The candles would be traded to the factory. The factor, or “storekeeper” would then sell the candles to other retail businesses in the United States. Business with the Osage was conducted by the barter system. All the furs and other items brought in by the Osage were traded for things they wanted. No real money was ever given to the Osage in exchange for any items.

The Factory, the "store", was built inside the main gate of Fort Osage. The factory opened on October 1, 1808. The factor at Fort Osage was George Sibley.
The Factory, the “store”, was built inside the main gate of Fort Osage. The factory opened on October 1, 1808. The factor at Fort Osage was George Sibley.
A view inside the Factory "salesroom"
A view inside the Factory “salesroom”
Inside the Factory storeroom.
Inside the Factory storeroom.
A view inside the living quarters of the factor, the "storekeeper".
A view inside the living quarters of the factor, the “storekeeper”.
The dining area for the factor, his family, and guests.
The dining area for the factor, his family, and guests.
The kitchen inside the Factory living quarters.
The kitchen inside the Factory living quarters.

Now let’s take a look at the military fort. The purpose of the military fort at Fort Osage was to protect a portion of the Louisiana Purchase that sat in the Missouri River Valley, provide protection for the Osage if they needed it, give protection to the United States Factory Trade House within its gate, and to provide a safe place for travelers and settlers to stop, get needed supplies, and rest on their way west. Its commander was Captain Eli B. Clemson.

The fort had a commanding view of the Missouri River from this bluff.
The fort had a commanding view of the Missouri River from this bluff.
Fort Osage flew a 16 foot by 24 foot US flag with 15 stripes and 15 stars from a flag pole that was 90 feet tall. One ship captain, upon arriving at the fort, said he could see that flag from six miles downstream.
Fort Osage flew a 16 foot by 24 foot US flag with 15 stripes and 15 stars from a flag pole that was 90 feet tall. One ship captain, upon arriving at the fort, said he could see that flag from six miles downstream.
The Officer's Quarters at Fort Osage.
The Officer’s Quarters at Fort Osage.
A look at the Missouri River out a porthole in one of the blockhouses.
A look at the Missouri River out a porthole in one of the blockhouses.
Loopholes in the blockhouse... At times the smoke in the blockhouse, from the firing of muskets, would be so thick the soldiers would have to "look for the loophole"...and now you know!
Loopholes in the blockhouse… At times the smoke in the blockhouse, from the firing of muskets, would be so thick the soldiers would have to “look for the loophole”…and now you know!

Fort Osage was in operation from 1808 until it was closed in 1811 in the wake of the War of 1812. It was reopened following the war with George Sibley returning as factor. But by 1822, private traders wanted to conduct all the business with the Native Americans. These private businessmen lobbied Congress to end the Factory System and government competition. This, and the fact that settlers were moving the frontier farther and farther west all the time, resulted in the permanent closure of Fort Osage in 1827.

Fort Osage National Historic Landmark is owned and operated by Jackson County Parks + Rec. It is staffed by site interpreters and volunteers dressed in period clothes who possess enormous knowledge about the site and its history. When we visited, on a late autumn weekday, we did not run into too many other visitors. That was great for us, because the “factor” spent over an hour with us, answering every question we had, offering answers to questions we could not even think of, and providing anecdotes about the fort and the people who once lived there.

The fort is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., year round. You can learn about the fort and plan your own visit to the fort by visiting its website at http://www.jacksongov.org/fortosage/.

Have fun finding our National Parks…in and out of your own backyard!

Chocolate Spice Cake

This delicious chocolate cake, with a kick of cinnamon, is great with a fresh cup of coffee. While the original recipe calls for the cake to be topped with a creamy white icing, we love it with a very generous dollop of whipped cream. I can honestly say that our two favorite cakes come from old recipes in heritage cookbooks, and this is one of them.

I have adapted the recipe from “An Army Wife’s Cookbook”, compiled and edited by Mary L. Williams, and published by Fort Davis National Historic Site, a part of the Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

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  • 1/2 c. softened butter
  • 1/4 c. dry cocoa
  • 3 beaten egg yolks
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 egg whites mixed with 1/2 c. cold water

Cream the butter, then thoroughly mix in the cocoa. Add the beaten egg yolks.

Mix the cinnamon and cloves with the sugar and add to the batter. Beat well.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the egg white and water mixture.

Bake in a 9-inch square pan at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Winter Snow and Christmas Sugar Cookies

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Christmas, Cookies, Family

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Christmas, Cookies, Family

It is that time of year when the word “busy” barely explains what life feels like. And I love it…every last gift-wrapping, tree-trimming,  pine needles all over the floor, menu planning, cookie dough snitching minute of it. But there are times when I am exhausted, addle-brained, and tied up in knots. At these times I like to leave the “busy” behind and go for a walk.

After the holidays, a winter trip is always nice and relaxing. Today is the first day of winter, and I love winter…every bone-chilling, snow covered landscape, scarf over my nose, I need some hot chocolate minute of it. So in addition to getting ready for Christmas, I am also dreaming about those winter journeys, long or short, that Jim and I will be taking in January and February.

So, I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on the beauty of the winter, as we have seen it, over the years…and to share the most important part of Christmas dinner in this house, the Christmas cookies we have made for decades, the one my mom made for decades earlier.

First, winter through my eyes…

I love walking in our neighborhood after a good snowfall...and in south central Missouri, a good, heavy snowfall is really special.
I love walking in our neighborhood after a good snowfall…and in south central Missouri, a good, heavy snowfall is really special.
This picture was taken on a visit to Missouri wine country on a beautiful, snowy day.
This picture was taken on a visit to Missouri wine country on a beautiful, snowy day.
I love seeing the first snowfall of the year. We caught this one in Indiana, at Turkey Run State Park.
I love seeing the first snowfall of the year. We caught this one in Indiana, at Turkey Run State Park.
We traveled to our son's house in Michigan last year and went on a hike in the woods on a very cold day...
We traveled to our son’s house in Michigan last year and went on a hike in the woods on a very cold day…
we even found our own Charlie Brown Christmas tree!
we even found our own Charlie Brown Christmas tree!
This is Bayfield, Wisconsin, the gateway to the ice caves of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Jim says it looks like a Currier and Ives print...our younger children have no idea what he is talking about.
This is Bayfield, Wisconsin, the gateway to the ice caves of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Jim says it looks like a Currier and Ives print…our younger children have no idea what he is talking about.
Ice that forms along the edge of the Missouri River makes beautiful patterns'
Ice that forms along the edge of the Missouri River makes beautiful patterns’
We make frequent visits to Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, on the Mississippi River, in West Alton. Missouri. There are many eagles along the river in January and February, but on this day we found this heron and a beautiful white swan.
We make frequent visits to Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, on the Mississippi River, in West Alton. Missouri. There are many eagles along the river in January and February, but on this day we found this heron and a beautiful white swan.
And after a day of snow crunching by car or on foot...
And after a day of snow crunching by car or on foot…
we are often treated to a gorgeous winter sunset.
we are often treated to a gorgeous winter sunset.

I love winter!

And now those really good Christmas sugar cookies…

All the grandchildren like to come and help decorate the cookies.

All the grandchildren like to come and help decorate the cookies.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt

In a mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Chill for at least one hour.

Roll dough to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with various Christmas cooky cutters. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. About 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, which was first published by General Mills in 1963.

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