Where have you been?

 

I have obviously been on a blogging hiatus for the last month.

Sorry about that, but it's been for a very good reason.

Summer Vacation!

This year we took a 3 week road trip and traveled over 4000 miles 

from Phoenix, Arizona to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and back.  

We saw some of the most beautiful country 

I've ever seen.  

There were places where you could swear we were in Hawaii, 

then the Rainforests along the equator, Parliment in the United Kingdom, 

and some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen.  

Almost a world tour.  

The water was freezing cold for sure.  

The water temperature never got above 55 degrees F.  

But since my kids are related to their Dad, 

they went swimming wherever they could and for as long as we would let them.  

Not me.  I'm a super baby when it comes to cold water.

But let me share a little of our vacation with you.

We were going to stop at Lake Tahoe, NV but didn't quite make it.

We spent too much time at a Vegas Breakfast Buffet on the way up.

That trip will have to happen later.

We did get kicked off a military base somewhere near Area 51.

Yes that place really does exist.  I've seen it.

My uncle was pulling a 30 trailer and a piece came off.  We stopped to

fix it and let the kids play on what looked like an old abandoned lookout tower

while the Dad's fixed the part.

What we didn't realize until we got in trouble was that it was a highly secret

military base and they didn't want us taking any pictures and to leave immediately.

Kinda scary, but oh so cool!!

After Nevada we stopped at Crater Lake.

If you haven't been, definitely add it to your bucket list.

I didn't even know it existed until I flew to Portland, Oregon and

the pilot tipped the plane as we few over so we could see it. 

Then and there I decided we had to go.

Crater Lake is an imploded volcano that is only filled with rain and snow.

It's also the deepest lake in the USA.  

The water is so clear and so blue it's indescribable.

                                      

Next stop was Portland, Oregon.  There are a series of waterfalls along the

Columbia River.  This one was Horsetail Falls.  We hiked up and could play

behind the falls.  It looked very close to Hawaii.

We spent a few days in Seattle with family, then up to Vancouver, Canada.

From there we took the ferry over to Victoria, BC.

These are the Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

55 acres of breathtaking gardens.

This is the Parliment Building in Victoria.  

I really felt like we were some where in the UK

exploring some ancient architecture.

From Victoria, we headed south back to the US.

This sunset is on the Pacific Ocean at the Dungeness Spit.

The Spit is a 5 mile sand bar with a Lighthouse at the end.

It's a little known place that is one of my favorite places to be.

Crescent Lake, WA is another favorite place for me.

I love the blue of the water and the tree line that goes right up to the water's edge.

Simply breathtaking!

North Head Lighthouse.

There are actually 2 lighthouses on this penninsula of Cape Disappointment, WA.

This one was my favorite.

There's a soft spot in my heart for lighthouses,

and I feel drawn to see as many as I possibly can.

There will definitely be some projects comming soon with my lighthouses.

Cannon Beach, Oregon.

The beaches along the Oregon Coastline are some of the most beautiful beaches

I've ever seen.  I love the huge rocks that stick out randomly along the coast line.

Have you seen the old 80's movie The Goonies?

This is Goonie Beach.

It's actually called Haystack Rock.

We were lucky enough to time it right at low tide.

The base of Haystack Rock is a huge set of tide pools full of starfish,

sea anemone, rockfish, hermit crabs, etc...

It was so fun to play and explore the tide pools.

This was a new discovery for our family.

It's called Fern Canyon in the Redwood National Forest.

It's a tricky drive to get there and you have to ask for directions because

it's not on the usual maps, but definitely worth the drive.

The walls were probably 3-4 stories tall and completely lined with ferns.

Beautiful.

This was my favorite picture from the trip.

We happened to stop at just the right time to snap this beauty

in the Redwood Forest.

I think God spent some extra time crafting this area.

I believe it's some of His best work!

Where did you go for summer vacation?

Now what do I do with all the stuff we collected along the way?

Come back soon.  

I have some fun projects comming up to showcase your vacation treasures!

1-2-3 Cake

Needing a little cake?

Only have about 2 minutes to make it?

Done and Done!

My mom-in-law taught me this quick and easy way to make cake.

It's perfect for summer because there's no need to turn on the oven and heat up the house.

Plus it's so easy the kids can make it for themselves anytime.

I know, who needs more cake right?

Well, sometimes I just need a little sweet something in my life and this cake fits perfectly.

I do want to do more experimenting with mix-ins 

and different kinds of cake mix but for now, 

this is a fun little cake that literally takes less than 2 minutes to make.

I'm serious!

It will probably take longer to read the post than to actually make the cake.

Ok.  Enough chatter.

Let's make some cake.

1-2-3 Cake

All you need is 1 box of Angel Food Cake mix and 1 box of another kind of cake mix.  

One has to be Angel Food, the other doesn't matter, just according to taste. 

Put in air-tight container and mix well.

3 Tbsp cake mix

2 Tbsp water

1 minute in the microwave.

Done.

Get out your mug.

Measure 3 Tbsp of cake mix into your mug.

Measure 2 Tbsp water into the mug.

 Mix well with a spoon.  It will begin to froth and foam a little.  That's Ok.

Put your mug in the microwave.  You can do two at a time, but if you do one at a time, they rise higher.

Microwave for 1 minute.

Shake the mug slightly to loosen the cake from the sides.

Dump out the cake on to a plate and let cool slightly.  

Be carefull.  

It will be hot when it first comes out.

At this point you could add frosting, but it might get a little messy.
That part is totally up to you!
I'm not the one cleaning up after your kids if they make a mess. ;)

Almost instant cake.

Yummy and Perfect for Summer!

As Marie Antoinette would say...

"Let them eat Cake!"

Sprouted Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

 I first came across this bread idea at my local food storage place called FoodWise.
It was a legume and grain mix you could buy to make your own bread from.

I was instantly intrigued.

Some of the recent classes at Shars incorporated bean flour into your bread.  It's a great way to use those super old pinto beans that won't get soft no matter how long you soak them or cook them.  Just grind them up into flour and use it as a great protein addition to whatever you're making.  Bean flour is also a great thickener for soups and gravys too.

I will definitely be doing more of that later.
But let's start at the very beginning.

The Bible.

I scoured Ezekiel and for some reason couldn't find the reference, so back to Google and found it instantly.  Ezekiel 4:9.

 9 ¶Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and ^afitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, ...

My Footnote says that Fitches is another name for Spelt which is an ancient grain.

So next I needed to find a recipe.  First I found a source to buy the sprouted bread already made, but I didn't want that.

Then I found this recipe over at allrecipes.com. Honestly it didn't look that appetizing. 
I used the measurements for the different kinds of grain and lentils, tweaked it just a bit and made it my own.  Then took it to the next level and sprouted everything.

The result:  A super power packed bread that is tasty, hearty, and beautiful.

Let's get started.

Sprouted Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

I sprouted the lentils and beans separately from the grains because they need to be ground separately in the grain grinder and there's no way I'm sorting them after the fact.

In one large bowl combine:

2 1/2 cups hard red wheat
2 1/2 cups hard white wheat
2 cups spelt
1 cup barley
1 cup millet

Mix together and cover with water.

In another bowl combine:

1/2 cup dry green lentils
4 Tbsp dry Northern Beans
4 Tbsp dry Kidney beans
4 Tbsp dry pinto beans

Again mix together and cover with water.

Let both sit overnight.  

The grains and legumes will swell.  

Drain and place in a collander in another bowl.  

Run under water then cover with wet paper towels or a wet dishcloth for another 12 hours.  

Run under water as many times as you remember to do it.  Probably about 3-4 times during the day.  

We want to keep them moist, but not soaked.

By now the sprouting should have started on everything.  

If you look close you can see the little tails emerging from the grains and the legumes.

Drain completely.

Now place the grains and lentils on a drying rack
in your dehydrator or on cookie sheets to set out in the sun.
Let dry for about 6-8 hours or until completely dry.
They must be completely dry before you grind them into flour or you will ruin your grain grinder.

Grind the grains first on a flour setting.
Next, turn the setting to very coarse or as large as your grain grinder will go.
Pour the legumes in.  Don't worry about the size.
You can see the little flakes of the legumes in the flour.
But you won't see them again in the bread.

Now let's bake.

In a Bosch mixer combine the following:
(note: if you are using a Kitchen Aid you must 1/2 the recipe)

6 cups warm water
2/3 cups applesauce
2/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp dough enhancer
3 Tbsp vital gluten
3-4 cups fresh ground whole grain and legume flour
3 Tbsp instant yeast

Mix on low until just combined.  Let sponge for about 10 minutes.

With mixer on, start adding fresh ground flour until dough starts to take shape.
Add 2 cups of unbleached white high gluten flour.

Add more flour as needed for dough to clean the sides of the bowl.
Set mixer to medium and let knead for 6 minutes.

After 6 minutes add 2 Tbsp sea salt. Add more white flour if necessary to keep the dough from being sticky.
Knead for another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray.
This batch will make 4-5 loaves depending on the size of your pans.
I use super long ones from IKEA.  Love 'em!

Oil hands and counter. Turn dough out and divide into 4 balls of dough.
Knead into loaf shape and place in pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
When oven is done preheating, remove plastic wrap and place pans in oven.
Drop temperature to 325 degrees F.
Bake for 33 minutes.

Remove and place on cooling racks.  Brush tops with shortening if desired.

Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

Mmmm... Want a piece?

Man's shirt Challenge

Summer means staying inside to escape the sweltering heat 

around here and that means sewing projects.  

My husband recently gave me a couple of his shirts that 

he doesn't want anymore and said, 

"Let's see what you can do with these."  

Challenge on.  

Challenge accepted.  

My girl needed something new so I decided to make something for her.  

I know in the pics above the shirt color is different.  

My boy accidentally deleted the original photo of my girl 

in the shirt pre-refashioning so I had to take a quick pic of her in another shirt.  

They are exactly the same, 

I just wanted you to get the idea of what the before's and after's look like.

So here's the before.  Way too big.  Not a cute look for my cute girl.

So let's start cutting and picking out.

First remove the front pocket by carefully picking out the stitching.

Now let's start chopping.  First the sleeves have to go.

Next cut straight across just below the collar on the front side.

Flip the shirt over and cut a straight line across the yoke.

Now for the front bodice. 

This will be made out of the back of the shirt.

Measure your girl, 

or yourself if this is for you to get the front measurement from the chest to the waist.

Cut straight across the shirt at the desired length.

I wanted to add some pin-tucks to the front of the boddice.

Pin in place.

Then straight stitch down.

Now for the arm holes.  

I measured from the top of the shoulder to under the arm.

Put pins or mark where those measurments line up.

Fold the bodice in half and cut the armhole like shown.

Here it is unfolded.

Lay the front bodice over the front of the shirt where the buttons are.  

Cut an identical piece out.

With the rest of the shirt, cut straight across.

This piece will be the skirt.

Cut the curvy part off too. 

This part is optional, depending on the look you are going for.

Now I need some bias tape for the shoulder straps.  

Cut the sleeve completely open.

Cut some diagonal strips like shown.

Seam the strips together. 

I didn't know how much exactly I would need for the straps 

so I made one continuous strip of bias tape.  

Sew together like shown.

I top stitched each junction.

Now we are ready to assemble the dress.

Pin the front and back bodice pieces together with right sides facing each other.  

Sew side seams.

I topstitched each side seam too.

Gather up the skirt.  

I'm using my gathering foot, but use any method you're comfortable with.

Pin bias tape to the top edge of the wrong side of each piece of the bodice.  

Stitch in place.

For the front bodice, fold the bias tape over then stitch in place across the front of the bodice.

Follow the same method for the arm holes.

Start at the back of the bodice sewing the bias tape in place.  

Fold over the starting point fabric.

This will give you a clean edge for the strap when you attach the other side.

Clip the curve of the arm hole like shown.  This will make the curve easier to sew in place.

Measure the length you need for the strap around the shoulder.  

Top stitch the bias tape in place, 

tucking the end of the strap inside the folded piece you started with.

I added another top stitch to secure the joint.

Roll hem the bottom edge of the skirt.

This was just slightly too short for my girl 

so I dug through my stash and found 

a gorgeous piece of eyelet that originally 

was a dust ruffle I found at Goodwill a long time ago. 

It's been sitting patiently waiting for me to use it.  

Today was the day.  

And I still have plenty left over for another day.  

Gather the eyelet piece.

Pin everything together matching right sides.

Serge or zigzag in place.  

I added another straight stitch line to secure everything and give me a clean seam.

And done!

I'm so loving the buttons down the back!

From a Man's Shirt...

To a super cute dress!

Happy Surviving the Summer Heat!

PS.  My Husband didn't believe me when I told him that I made the dress from his shirt.

How's that for Challenge Beaten!