Klondike! Projects!

Hello all,

Klondike is having the time of his life with us! His favorite activities include marking every possible tree or bush, cuddling, and keeping the yard chipmunk free. He has been dreaming heavily lately also. He runs and barks in his sleep, which is cute until you get kicked in the middle of the night!

We have a pack of coyotes living on our street. So, my friends at school joke that the coyotes think he is cream filled. Now he has a summer do, so they are calling him lowfat.

Many projects are coming along in the den, some have recently been completed:

Our bed turned out pretty good considering the whole thing was made from one sheet of MDF and a 4x4. Sasha spent many hours sanding to achieve the "piano black" we were looking for. Check out the pics

Sasha's whale chalkboards are turning out awesome. So far she has cut them out of CDX, rounded the edges off, filled the knot holes, and painted the backsides. All that is left is to paint the fronts with chalk paint and splice the hanging rope.

We've got a 15' row boat going on right now thats about to get planked up here in the next week or two. We'll post some pictures of that in the next blog.

Lastly, we went on a hike up Mount Townsend a little while back. There was still some unexpected snow up there, and when we hit the peak we got clouded in so the view was unavailable, but we still had fun and got a few good pics.

p.s. Check out this article I wrote about a Dale Nordlund an his skiff!

http://ptsail.org/2010/07/11/the-nordlund-skiff/#more-1466

Klondike on break from chipmunk duty

Sasha on Mt. Townsend

Bryan on Mt. Townsend

Whale Chalkboard

Our Bed

The MEGABLOG

Dear family and friends,

Yes, we are alive and well, despite the lack of blogging in the past two months. I now present to you The MEGABLOG, updating you all on the highlights that have occurred since our last post. We apologize to everyone for being e-irresponsible! I hope you haven't forgotten about The Den. (Please feel free to read this monstrous entry in sections as we don't want to be the cause for any eye strain)

Bryan completed his first actual boat at school (a flat bottomed rowing skiff) and he was in charge of some pretty key parts (i.e. breasthook) that he was definitely proud to have done so well. He is at school right now so unfortunately I can't grill him on the proper terminology and details that I should probably already know and be describing to you right now. All I can tell you is that he and his group did really well and his teacher really loved all the parts Bryan personally built.

Continuing on the boat theme, Bryan also co-purchased with a classmate a 22 foot sailboat. Her name is Nutmeg and she has been loved back into the water after a couple weeks of intense paint and repair.

As for me, my projects have been a little more craftsy.
I constructed an eco-friendly version of the deer head trophy by using recycled cardboard in a 3D puzzle style. It turned out pretty cool and if you want to make it yourself, the template is available online for free at this website. I also crocheted a pretty cool hat for Bryan and he made walnut wood buttons for it.

Back around Christmas time, as a present for our moms, we carved some wooden stamps for them and created some greeting cards with them. An Ozzie stamp (her Cairn terrier) for Evelyn and Ganesh for Pushpa. They turned out pretty cool.... right, Moms?

Right now we are working on getting The Den and the boat ready for Bryan's parents to visit this weekend so that we might appear to be clean, organized, model citizens, at least for a couple days.

We've been cooking and eating our usual fare, you know, soups and salads and any and everything involving potatoes. I went on a bit of a culinary adventure with homemade gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce and homemade tiramisu (yes, I even made the ladyfingers) for dessert. I had to improvise the techniques a bit since I don't have a food mill (replacement: cheese grater) or a pastry bag (replacement: gallon ziplok with corner cut off), but it turned out to be successful/delicious. If you're looking for recipes, the gnocchi and sauce is on Martha Stewart's glorious website. For the tiramisu, it was on the side of the mascarpone cheese container (Bel Gioioso brand). Other than that, we haven't been cooking quite as extravagantly as usual because we have become obsessed with the tv show How I Met Your Mother. We've caught up on the first four seasons, so between now and when the next season is available on dvd, we will resume our cooking experiments.

We are super pumped that Klondike will be moving in with us here around the end of February. He is feeling a little bit lonely at home with Mom and Colin away from the house and once Colin comes home it must be kept really dirt, germ, and allergy free, so he will be living with us until things settle down at home. Settling in will be a little hard, but I'm sure he will love the dog friendly town, all his new doggy friends, and the zillions of new trees to pee on.

Too cute to overlook as part of the excitement that has been going on is Shannon's new ball of fur, Finn. He is a black and white border collie puppy and is most definitely a fun, challenging, rewarding addition to her life. Shannon is officially smitten with her four legged Casanova. Finn's online debut was made on YouTube a few weeks ago; watch it here if you dare to take on the adorableness.

Those of you who need a Colin update, he is doing well (all things considered). He is still in remission and has opted to do an all chemo treatment plan instead of the bone marrow transplant. This seems to be the best option for him and poses far fewer complications. He is expecting his awesomely tricked out MacBook Pro from the Make-A-Wish foundation on Sunday and has been working on his crusade for wifi in the hospital to make full use of his new toy. We are all really proud of how grown up he has become through this experience.

Now for the photographic evidence to prove that all/most of these things really did happen... just in case you thought I was into blog fabrication... =)

The boat launch of the rowing skiff (those are some of Bryan's classmates in it)

The breasthook Bryan made, and Bryan's teacher Ben's favorite part of the boat!
Nutmeg during her repairs and painting in Port Townsend Boat Haven

Nutmeg being lifted by the crane to take her to the water

Bryan follows along
Plop!
Finally in the water and getting ready to sail over to Port Hadlock

Home mooring in Hadlock Bay

The view of the school from the boat
Deer Head, painted and assembled

Bryan's new beanie with buttons

Pushpa's Ganesh stationery
Evelyn's Ozzie stationery
Most of you already know him, but for those who don't, this is Klondike
Introducing to the family, Finn!

Sleepy Puppy

Whew, all this blogging has exhausted me!

Love, Bryan

and Sasha

Snow

We had our first snowfall here at The Den almost two weeks ago and it was pretty amazing. Take a look...

Down the street on Lane de Chantal

It was already noon by the time we took pictures so this is partially melted

Bryan in the snow - he loves the cold

Sasha in the snow - she does not love the cold

The Den

The street right in front of the house

Behind the house on the bay side

The driveway

Good News!

Colin is officially in remission!

His bone marrow biopsy done the day after Thanksgiving came back clean, with no detected cancer cells!

He has undergone one round of intense chemotherapy, and even though he is technically in remission, it is still required that he do two more rounds and then the bone marrow transplant, which will be an intense ordeal in itself.

He still has a long road to go, but we are all so excited that he is responding so well and finally feeling a little bit better. His blood counts are up to around where they should be and he can roam about the hospital occasionally without all his IV bags in tow.

Check out his website to see the full journal update:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/colinautry

There you will also find in the photos section a peek at Colin's new bald look and a very cute hospital visit from Klondike, the family dog.


Thank you to everyone for all your support and concerns. The whole family appreciates the love. Hopefully everything stays on this positive track and the rest of his battle will not be too awful.

We will definitely keep you all posted here with big news, but feel free to check CaringBridge every few days for more day-to-day progress.

International Food Nights

Just thought we'd update y'all on some of our most recent fantastic culinary creations. We try to do everything around here from scratch if at all possible because it's usually more economical and almost always more delicious. Plus it's just so fun. This time we even included our recipes!

Bon Appetit!

Moroccan Dinner Menu

• Chickpea Couscous
• Oven Roasted Sesame Potatoes
• Steamed Artichoke with Yogurt Sauce
• Pomegranate Ginger Mojitos
• Mantecados with ginger ice cream
• Mint tea

Chickpea Couscous

Ingredients:

14 ounces vegetable broth

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. harissa paste (hard to find in some places, so we've included our from scratch recipe below)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 C quick cooking couscous

2 T chopped fresh mint leaves

• Combine vegetable broth, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, harissa, salt, and cinnamon in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add chickpeas and return to simmer; simmer uncovered for 2 minutes.
• Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat.
• Let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Sprinkle with mint as garnish.

Moroccan Oven Roasted Sesame Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lb. russet potatoes

1 T harissa paste

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1 T sesame seeds

1/4-1/2 of a lemon

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Peel or scrub potatoes, depending on your preference
• Cut potatoes into 1" cubes
• Place in large bowl and toss with harissa until evenly coated
• Add olive oil and toss again
• Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds and toss again
• Cover large baking sheet with foil and oil lightly
• Place seasoned potato chunks on baking sheet in a single layer
• Bake for 30 minutes, then turn potatoes with a spatula and cook for 15 additional minutes, or until potatoes are a deep golden color
• Squeeze lemon over potatoes before serving

Harissa Blend

Ingredients:

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. coriander

4 T dried red chillies, chopped

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. mint, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• Combine all ingredients and grind if desired
• To make a paste, mix the powder with an equal part water and add olive oil to your desired texture

Steamed Artichoke with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

1 artichoke

salt

pepper

lemon

1/2 C plain yogurt

1/2 C mayonnaise

• Steam artichoke in a stock pot until tender (approx. 45 minutes)
• Cut in half lengthwise
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon
• The sauce is really easy, just mix together the yogurt and mayo and add a little salt

Mantecados (Moroccan Cinnamon Cookies)

-not pictured- We served these with ginger ice cream

Ingredients:

2 C all purpose flour, sifted

1 C oil

1 egg, beaten

1 C sugar

zest of 1/2 a lemon

ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Put flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center
• Add oil, egg, sugar and lemon zest and knead
• Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with flour
• Form small dough balls and flatten slightly
• Let stand on sheet for 20 minutes
• Sprinkle with cinnamon
• Bake for 20 minutes

Pomegranate Ginger Mojitos

Ingredients:

Mint leaves

Ginger syrup (recipe below)

Clear rum (vodka works well also)

Club soda

Pomegranate juice

Lemon juice

• Place about 5-7 mint leaves in a tall glass with one ounce ginger syrup and two ounces alcohol
• Fill glass with ice and muddle mixture
• Fill glass with club soda and top off with a splash of pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lemon
• To make a stronger (or weaker) drink, just remember to maintain the one to two ratio of syrup to alcohol

Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:

2 C sugar

1 C water

3 inches ginger, peeled and chopped into about 1/2 inch sections

• Heat sugar, water and ginger to a slight boil, reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes, until the ginger is infused and the mixture thickens to syrup consistency
• After the mixture cools, strain into a container and keep refrigerated
• We also used this to sweeten our tea (good with chai, mint, chamomile, etc.)

Don't forget to have a nice hot cup of mint tea after your meal!

Indian Food Menu

• Paneer Makhani
• Naan style flatbread
• Salt lassi

Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 T butter + 2 tsp. butter, separated

2 tsp. all purpose flour

1 C milk

approx. 20 cubed pieces of paneer (recipe for homemade paneer below)

1 onion, chopped

15 ounces diced tomatoes (we used one can of already diced tomatoes and drained a little bit of the tomato juice)

1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped

salt

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. chilli powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

2 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. garam masala powder (this may not be readily available, but is pretty awesome if you can get your hands on this blend of 11 spices)

cilantro for garnish

• First make a white sauce by heating the 2 tsp. of butter in a small saucepan, incorporate flour, and add milk. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool
• Sautee onion in butter until tender, then add the ginger and garlic and sautee 1-2 minutes longer
• Add tomatoes and powders, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 3/4 the amount
• Add white sauce and combine; cook for another few minutes
• Add the paneer , garnish with cilantro, and serve over rice

Paneer

-thanks to Bryan's classmate Heidi for sharing her homemade cheese knowledge-

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon whole milk

6 T lemon juice

• In a large saucepan, bring milk to just under a boil and turn off heat. Stir continuously to prevent the bottom from burning
• Add lemon juice and continue to stir milk until it separates into curds and whey
• Allow the curds and whey to cool for about 1/2 an hour, or until cool enough to handle
• Strain through a strainer lined with cheese cloth
• Rinse the curds with fresh water
• Wrap the cheese cloth on itself and squeeze the moisture out (the more you squeeze, the more firm your paneer will be)
• Shape the paneer, still in the cheese cloth, into a block about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Ensure that it is wrapped tightly
• Place something flat and heavy on top, like a cutting board or cooking pot and allow gravity to extract the remaining excess moisture
• Cube into desired size
• You may wish to save the whey for future batches of paneer and use it instead of lemon juice

Naan Style Flatbread

Ingredients:

3 C all purpose flour

1 C cold water

3 T olive oil

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of baking soda

1/2 tsp. cumin

2 T cilantro

• Combine all ingredients and form into a dough
• Cut into 4-5 equal pieces
• Roll out each piece into a thin circle or rectangle on a floured cutting board
• Prick surface of dough with a fork and cook on medium low heat on an oiled hot griddle or wide flat bottomed frying pan
• Turn with a spatula; watch these closely because they cook pretty fast, about 2-3 minutes per side depending on how thin you rolled them

Salt Lassi

Ingredients:

1/2 C plain yogurt for each

1 C water for each

1/8 tsp. ground cumin for each

salt to taste

• Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend with an egg beater and pour into a tall glass, or place all ingredients in a tall glass and use a handheld foaming/mixing device (I used my aerolatte battery powered whisk thing)

Alas, no room for dessert, but this rounds out nicely with a cup of hot chai

Please Support Colin Autry

Hey everyone, most of you already know, but for those of you who don't, Colin (Sasha's brother) was diagnosed with leukemia about one month ago. He is in the hospital and will remain there for the duration of his treatment, which they say will most likely be 6 to 8 months. He has so far endured his first round of chemotherapy, which has been really rough on him. Thankfully, I (Sasha) am a 100% match for Colin's bone marrow, so they will be able to do a bone marrow transplant later on when he is physically ready.

Pushpa (Colin and Sasha's mom) has set up a website where you can read her journal updates about his progress. You can find a much more detailed description of the situation at her site. There is also an area called the guestbook where visitors can leave messages for Colin. If you are so inclined to leave a supportive note, the URL is:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/colinautry

Just take a few moments to set up a log-in and password so that you can sign the guestbook. Your good energy is greatly appreciated.

This was back during the last week of October when I went to visit. Colin's hair has been buzzed off since then and has continued to fall out ever since he began chemo

In the corner of the photo you can see his massive amounts of IV bags. Those are all his fluids and IVs that continuously run and is set up through a surgically implanted permanent line (Broviac tube) attached to a main artery in his chest. That is the same port from which the nurses draw blood and administer all the different types of chemotherapy

During my visit I claimed this little area in the corner by the window. On the nights that I stayed over I had the pleasure of sleeping on a very narrow, hard window seat. The room is not exciting or entertaining at all and it totally sucks that he has to stay in there the whole time, but it is a pressurized controlled environment that sanitizes the air so that he won't get sick. His immune system is non-existent right now and we all have to take extra precautions around Colin.

He naps most of the time and is exhausted from nausea, lack of sleep or just plain old sick and tired of being sick and tired. Also, the tv is kind of lame and there is no internet connection available. Of all the horrible things to do to an x-box live playing teenager who is stuck in the hospital, that is not cool at all.

Birthday Adventure

Hey everyone, Sasha here. It was my 23rd birthday last weekend, on the 7th. I know, I'm getting up there in years. Our entire street was being paved, so doing your typical birthday outing was out of the question. Instead, we did a little exploration around our house on Discovery Bay after a delicious banana pancake breakfast (lovingly handmade by Bryan and served with tea right in bed!), which was accompanied by an unexpectedly silly Disney channel Jonas marathon. I may be old, but I'll never be too old for the Disney channel! All in all it was a really great birthday and we had a really mellow and romantic day. Also, Bryan gave me the coolest present I've ever seen, let alone received. Scroll down to the bottom to see what it is if you can't wait until you've gotten through all of our woodsy foresty adventurey photos from the day.

This is the beginning of our walk down to the shore. Naturally, we stopped to pose for some tree leaning portrait opportunities

Okay so maybe the forest isn't as untouched as we'd like to think...

Bryan leads the way down what turned out to be a steep and somewhat treacherously slippery trail to the water, but he was an amazing navigator

It was totally worth the trek to see the beautiful bay during sunset at high tide

The shore isn't your usual sand (usual for us Californians, anyway), but small polished pebbles and shells


The slowly setting sun begins its descent


After walking along the shore a little bit we came upon a tiny lagoon!


Bryan of the Bay (would be his Viking conqueror name)

Really cool driftwood was all over the place

We stopped to admire the sunset... and each other

Of course we wore our mud boots, duh


Almost time to head home... don't want to be caught outside in the dark with those cougars around!


For my birthday present, Bryan made me a birch wood wizard's wand on a lathe and also a Peruvian walnut stand to display it when I'm not casting wicked cool spells. It is down to all the specs of the wand I figured I would have if I were attending Hogwarts. It is made of wood from my favorite tree, 14 inches long, and I can only assume there is a phoenix feather core inside.