A Little Preview from our "Dreadful" Night ;P

Oh my, look what a fantastic job our photographer did last night?!  She was so excited to share with us that she messaged me one of the finished photos last night already.  I can't wait to see the rest.  We are so blessed to have brothers and sisters in Christ that invest with their time, TALENT, and treasure in our family and in God's work.

Photo Courtesy of Mrs. A. Bourn

For the Beauty of the Earth

I don't know about you, but, while I enjoy winter more than most, part of the reason I'm able to do it is because it lends me new appreciation for the splendor of spring, summer, and fall.  I enjoyed looking back on these October photos of a rare family trip to McCall.  It was so worth getting away, even for a simple overnighter (it was a part of a skating competition, lest anyone think it was too simple - the Fife family doesn't do simple LOL).  

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Halloween 2014

Halloween is one of those holidays I'm lukewarm about (sort of like Easter - not the biblical aspect of it, but the secular side).  For my family, we keep it light and positive.  We focus on the harvest and community aspects of it.  But I can say that unequivocally that I love the dressing up portion of it!  It's so fun to get to be a different "version" of yourself for one night of the year.  This was Allegra's last year trick-or-treating.  Next year she will join Hero as a candy-hander-outer (yes, that's a real word in my dictionary).  Allegra wore her Harry Potter robes from her trip to Florida in the summer with Nana, Hero, and Oriana.  Ian was Link from Zelda, Colin was a Skylander (the costume was a bit small - that's what I get for waiting until the week of Halloween to get a costume - have I mentioned that I LOATHE spending money on non-historical costumes?), Cecily was Belle (in a fabulous costume that was purchased at Disneyland for Allegra back in 2004, and will go into my bin of costumes I will save for my future grandkids), and Elle was Snow White (an old Disney Store costume from when Hero and Allegra were little).  The night was balmy and the mood was fun.  It really was what I want Halloween to be: lowkey, happy, family-oriented.

Sun Valley

This year Hero competed in her first out-of-town skating competition.  It was a mixed bag, due to a lot of back-and-forth between Sun Valley and Boise, and two ER visits (!), but it was very interesting, and it's fun to get away, even if it's just for a long weekend.

Independence Day

4th of July is one of the easiest holidays.  It's a day of relaxation and pure fun.  We eat a little, swim a lot, and enjoy some fireworks in the street (I think this year was the best I've seen).  At heart, I'm a girly girl, and I was so excited by the prospect of just having some extra time without rushing around in the morning that I decided to play with my girls' hair.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  For all four girls, I spent about three hours doing their hair, but honestly it didn't feel that long.  It was a good three hours of girl time, with laughter and chatting.  I need that more often, I've determined.

Cecily Turns 5

Cecily was so excited to turn 5!  She thought it was the hugest deal in the world.  We celebrated on her birthday day with a little homemade cake, and then on Saturday we had a party with the eight of us and Papa in the backyard.  As you can tell by the lift in her chin, she's a very confident and self-posessed 5 year old!

Grandpa's Visit

My dad stopped by for a week-long visit in May, which is always a great pleasure.  We belatedly celebrated his birthday with my homemade German Chocolate Cake.  He also got to spend Mother's Day with us, which meant a relaxed barbecue in the backyard with family.  The kids are always so happy to have him around, it's funny how, if I suggested playing at the park with a frisbee I'd be met with "whatever Moms" but when Grandpa wants to do it, they are all over it.

Zoo Fun

There hasn't been a year that I haven't made it to Zoo Boise at least once, between the annual preschool trip and the annual kindergarten trip.  This year we just had one combined trip for the girls, as their classes went at the same time.  Next year we will double up again, as Cecily will go for kindergarten and Elle will go again for preschool.  This year was a nice treat as Daddy got to go too!

Easter

I felt so excited for Easter this year, which was a glorious feeling that I haven't always had.  Too often I'm preoccupied with all the attendant preparations that come with getting eight people out of the house in time for sunrise service, combined with making sure food is ready for the following holiday meal.  But, and I can only credit the Lord for this, this year I was able to stay focused on the importance of the season, and was mostly undistracted by all the other fluff.  What a blessing!  We had a lovely day of worship and fellowship.

March Pictures & A Delicious Recipe

If one cat is great, two cats must be fabulous, and we certainly agree with that in our household.  We love Miss Essie and Miss Stella, both cats from the Humane Society.  It was a tricky first month or so of them learning to get along, but now they are best friends.

March saw us celebrate Purim for the first time with a reading of the book of Esther with attendant noisemakers and Purim treats (hamantaschen, yum!)

I snagged an old Rachael Ray cookbook at a thrift store earlier in the year (I know, I know, the last thing I need is more cookbooks, but I love new recipes) and the recipes are surprisingly fantastic.  This was one of the first ones I tried and it's so yummy I wanted to share the recipe (and the smell during the cooking process is seriously Ah-mazing).

Oregon-Style Pork Chops with Pinot Noir and Cranberries

Oregon Hash with Wild Mushrooms, Greens, Beets, Hazelnuts, and Blue Cheese

Charred Whole-Grain Bread with Butter and Chives

Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 1/2 inches thick

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Hash:

1 cup hazelnut pieces

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 lb shiitake mushroom caps, sliced

1 bunch of kale, chopped (4-5 cups)

1 15oz can sliced beets, drained

1 loaf crusty bread

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp chopped chives

Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chops with salt and pepper.  Add 2 Tbsp EVOO to the hot skillet and then add the chops.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  While they cook, split the leeks lengthwise, slice in 1/2 inch half moon pieces, and wash vigorously. Shake to dry.

To make the hash, preheat a second large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the nuts to the skillet and brown for 2-3 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Remove the chops to a warm plate, tent with foil, and set aside.  To the skillet, add another Tbsp of the EVOO and the leeks.  Cook the leeks until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the cranberries and Pinot Noir to the pan.  Scrape up the pan drippings and stir in the chicken stock.  When the sauce comes to a bubble, add the chops back to the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Finish cooking the chops through, about 10 minutes.

To finish the hash: To the skillet used to toast the nuts, add the tbsp of EVOO and 1 tbsp of the butter.  When the butter melts into the oil, add the shallots and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, then add the kale.  Wilt the kale into the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.  When the kale is hot and wilted, add the beets and gentle combine.  Adjust the seasonings.

Preheat the broiler.  Pull the chops from their sauce and reserve on a clean warm plate.  Raise the heat and bring the sauce back to a bubble.  Cut off 4 thick slices of the bread.  Char the bread under the broiler on each side while you finish the sauce.  Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the sauce to give it gloss and weight, and turn off the heat.  Spread the charred bread with the remaining Tbsp of butter and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Pour the sauce over the chops.  Serve with the hash alongside the chops and toasts and top with crumbles of blue cheese.

Serves 4