It's you and me, baby !

Gonzaga 2013!

This has been a very nostalgic week for me. John graduated from Gonzaga with a degree in Electrical Engineering(magnu cum laude)  and Physics. He was also in the Tau Beta Pi Honor society. He left for the University of Waterloo,  in Ontario Canada, all the way across the WORLD! They call it U DUB, but the colors are different... We are BEYOND proud of the man he has become!! 


" John-Congratulations!  The GWPI Admissions Committee is recommending you for admission to the collaborative Quantum Information Physics Ph.D. program commencing May 2013.  Dr. Matteo Mariantoni is very pleased to offer you a position in his group."  

From this point on, we may not see him with any regularity. Our baby, our last, is ON HIS OWN! I always say, "they are never REALLY gone!" But he really is. 

John came home for a few days, so we could have and ice cream cone party for him! 

Also it is Memorial day weekend. Our kids are all grown and off on adventures with their kids. It is the weekend of Jana's birthday We usually went camping with our good friends the Atwoods, to celebrate Jason and Jana's joint birthdays. 



We also gave our 1970 Kit Companion Travel Trailer to another family!! They are young, eager to "fix it up" and take THEIR kids camping! None of our kids wanted it in their yard, or really had a use for it, or had a vehicle to pull the thing. This little piece of another era has graced OUR driveway for nearly 30 years! When we sold our cows we had $800 left over. So we went to Lynden Trailer Sales and THERE before us, AS IS was the camping rig of our dreams! We brought it home hooked up to our blue 1964 Ford Pickup. It was quite the get up! 

This is the exact truck, but I had to get an
internet photo, as it was pre-digital. Ours
of course looked more like it had been rolled 8 times! 

 The kids were GAGA! They slept in is THAT night. They were in LOVE! We would hook that baby up, drive 1/2 mile away for our home on Jackman Rd and camp at Berthusen park! they thought they were traveling so far! we could run home to milk cows (we were milkers for Lamar VanderGriend), Warren could go to his other job at Westside  and his other Job as a Herdsman for LeRoy Veenstra. 

Our older boys both lived in that trailer, for a time, when "moving out on their own" did not quite work out. They wanted to come home, but not home, and with 5 kids, the minute you move out, your room has another occupant! And of course WE did not want to make moving home a comfortable event! John lived out there for a whole summer. Extension cords would run from the house to his "pad". He was only about 10, but thought is was pretty cool. 

A few times Warren and I pulled it out and camped up at Sliver Fir. Warren took the boys fishing in it and for their "manly talk". Warren even pulled it to Spokane last year, as John wanted to go camping. He had to stop for new tires and my nephew packed the wheels in Ellensburg on a pit stop, but it made it! Silver Lake was our most common destination. We also took it to the Rec Center at Arco Park. We always had the whole place to ourselves, and Warren could go to work in the day and return to the trailer at night. Orcas Island and Birch Bay were other favorite destinations. We even took it all the way to Oregon for Warrens  40th birthday. THAT is another story... 

I cleaned out the trailer for it's new family. I brought in the James Herriot paperbacks we read around the campfire, the cribbage board, the Readers Digest condensed books, the pictures the grandkids had drawn of fishing with Grampa, the photos, and the blankets and dishes. I had it all in my arms, with the "special" plates of Karen and Jana's with their names on them. Warren came to help me and I said , "NOW I get it! THIS is why old people don't throw anything away!" and I started crying. I laughed and cried. Then I looked at him and said, for about the 20th time this week, "it's you and me baby!  (I say this when he is sitting in his chair or we take a walk out to see if the corn is up in the garden...)The new family came to pick her up. I could not watch. I asked Warren if HE wanted to take a picture (hoping he did!) and he said, "no, she's off for a new adventure!" 

We all are! We have a truly "empty nest" which really, I do not mind at all. I have done my time and earned my stripes! I loved raising my kids, for the most part... I don't want to go back. It's just ... different. I love the way things are now. My Grankids are all close, my kids are loving and kind, they have married wonderful people. I look forward to the days Warren and I have together. I am truly truly blessed! 

It's YOU and ME, baby! 

Angel blankets

Tiny Angel Blankets

I like to make blankets to go with the Teeny Tears Diapers. 

You can read about the Teeny Tears Diaper Projects here.

Fabric: I use flannel on both sides, minky with Flannel on the inside, regular cotton fabric with flannel on the inside, or fleece with flannel on the inside. 

 Sizes: any size from 12"x12" to 18"x18" are good sizes. 

,

1.  Trim the selvages off the edge of the fabric, so it does not end up showing on your finished blanket. 

2.  Then turn the fabric so the RIGHT sides are together. 

     Cut the fabric into a square. Any size from 12"x12" to 18"x18" and a nice size for angel babies. 

3.  Sew all the way around the blanket, stopping to turn the corners. Use a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a small (4") opening in one side to be able to turn the blanket right side out. 

4.  Trim the corners

5.  Turn the blanket right side out, using a chop stick or wooden spoon to push out the corners. 

6. Topstitch all the way around the blanket. I use zig zag for boys and a curve for girls. 

There is usually enough fabric on the edge of a yard to make a couple sets of diapers to match. 

I also make contrasting diapers to match a lot of the fabric that is donated to us or when the print is too large for the teeny tears diapers. 

More blankets...

The Tie That Binds

This year started out as the last year ended. TeenyTears Diapers. Working on these tiny diapers for special angels has been really healing  for me. . We started getting requests for small hospitals in Washington. I was really touched by this, as we had vacationed twice in Eastern Washington the past summer and as I saw the road signs for all these little hospitals I thought perhaps a few Moms in early labor MUST make it into these hospitals and need diapers. I told Jana that next time we plan vacation, I will phone ahead and see if they have a hospital and need diapers. I would LOVE to make a diaper delivery in person.

Christmas was really hard for me this year. My Grandson Carter passed away in June 2011. I think I was so busy that first year, trying to help my daughter and her family and be sure they were ok, I did not have a lot of time to process what I had been thru.You never stop being a mom! I was elated that my daughter was having a baby and then TWINS! Nothing can take the memories of that JOY away from me. While still struggling with my grief. I am also thankful for the times we shared thru Cohen and Carters birth. I did not have a page in  my “mom advice book” dealing with the loss of a child. I had never been there. I am learning so much watching my daughter walk thru these times with faith, strength, love and hope.

Having these “local” hospitals has been really healing for me to work on. I think of the times I have been to those cities. It made me remember my dear mother in law. I grieve for her, too. She was a nurse in the newborn nursery for 35 years at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds, WA. She used to come home and say how they had another “tiny” one today and how she wished she had enough time, she would love to design and make preemie clothes. There was no “preemie” section, back at that time. I felt such a close connection with her while sewing these tiny diapers. I had saved some of the fabric from her “stash” and I found some of it to use on tiny swaddlers to ship with the diapers.  I know she would have embraced this project with love!  We enjoyed shopping for fabric together, discussing sewing projects, trading patterns and buying that special piece of fabric we knew the other would love.  Our love of sewing was a strong connection for us. I now share this love of fabric, FLANNEL and the planning and sewing with my daughter. 

My super husband who had flipped HUNDREDS of diapers and his mom, Gramma R. 

Gramma  would have been so delighted at Jana having twins. Never in our families has there ever been twins! As I sewed the diapers I kept thinking of how Gramma Rinehart is up in heaven rocking our precious angel, Carter, until the rest of the family arrives! Until then, I will keep making Teeny diapers with the hope that it will ease another families pain at losing their precious child.

Pullman, Centralia, Omak, Colville

For the Love of Carter: Take ?

We make diapers for  Teeny Tears. We started after the loss of our grandson Carter. I have loved sewing little things for babies for many years. I love quilting. We first heard about Teeny Tears when looking for "preemie" clothes, when we knew Jana's boys would most likely be early. The word "bereavement" popped up in my search, along with these patterns for tiny diapers. I immediately closed the page and said, well that's NOT what I am looking for!!

God had other plans for my Grandsons. They would, indeed be born early, at 25 weeks and Carter passed away. His Identical twin brother Cohen spent 4 months in the University of Washington NICU. He is now home and giving us all a run for our money! We want to remember Carters life and the Teen Tears diapers were a wonderful way to do that, and so for others who were bearing the incredible pain of loosing a child. Carter has changed our lives in many ways and we want to remember how much he means to our family, what a fighter he was and how incredibly much we love him and miss him. Working on these diapers is very healing. I am constantly AMAZED by the Moms who have suffered such loss, now give their time, money and family resources to make these diapers for other families.

When I saw "Citrus Valley Medical Center" 60 diapers. I was thinking I could do that by myself and do it in memory of Carter. I just really wanted to do  it, not sure why. So I started in. Of COURSE I was not doing ANY of this by myself!! When I say WE started doing diapers, it really is WE. Jana is our commander, we have MANY faithful friends who cut, flip, sew, iron, ribbon and pin! ALL of our family has been involved and I am amazed at how far reaching it is. So THANK YOU ALL who help us make these diapers for these precious angels. It really is a sacred thing when you hear someone got one of the diapers or blankets. You are glad they did, but SO sad and burdened that they did.

Cohen helping with the diapers in memory of his twin brother, Carter

I left a diaper for Carter at Heavens Gate, ID. Elevation 8429 feet! It was as close as I can get for now, little Buddy! 

Grampa flipping diapers. 

Thank you to all the NWWDD (North West Washington Diaper Dreamers)! This has been such a part of the healing for this Gramma. The grief is so hard to bear at times. I want it all better for my daughter and I want Carter here. It's a hard place to be. But the friends we have made thru Carters life and loss have been such a blessing. 

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Several of you have asked for this recipe, so here it is!  I picked a lot of my tomatoes today. 

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe can be pressure canned or frozen. Cream is added when the soup is reheated.
Makes about 6 pints
15-20 tomatoes
2 carrots, chop roughly
1 large onion, quartered
2 whole heads garlic, peeled, not crushed
olive oil
1 t. salt3 cups fresh, homemade, chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil — (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
Preheat oven to 425°
Core tomatoes and cut in half. Place, cut side up, on parchment covered cookie sheet. Add carrots, onion and garlic. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle salt.
Roast at 425°F for about an hour, or until veggies are roasted and a little blackened.
Blend with a stick blender (or in small batches in a blender) until smooth. Throw the basil in and blend some more.
Place in a large saucepan with the chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
To can: Process in a pressure canner, pints for 20 min. and quarts for 30 min. at 10# of pressure (dial gauge.)
To serve: Warm soup in a saucepan. Add cream to taste. Serve garnished with a grilled cheese sandwich!

Veggies ready for the oven

All nice and roasted

Soup! (I did not add any cream, it is SO yummy this way)

I like to can it in 1/2 pts or pts, so we just grab it and put it in our lunch bag. 

I was kind of hungry thinking about the soup, so I grabbed a potato out of the garden and used my new mandolin and had nice fresh fries in 10 minutes! While waiting the hour for the vegetables to roast. You need a good plate of fries every once in a while. 

TWO New Kitchen Items!

Ok, It has been a busy and warm week for us in NW Washington. Into the 90's. I have been canning beans and making pickles and relish, my favorite thing to do.

We kind of got hooked on "Chopped" and the Food Network when we were in Seattle at the NICU for 5 months, as it was pretty much the only thing on at the "home' at the time of night that we got back.

I have been watching with enthusiasum  all winter as these chefs slice away on this cool mandolin. But never really thought I "needed" one. BUT with the arrival of the garden vegetables it became obvious to me, I really did NEED one! It finally arrived and I went right to work making perfect size pickles and homemade potato chips and thin sliced zucchini to use instead of noodles in lasagna.  

The mandolin actually brought about TWO new items to the CHOPPED  Rinehart Kitchen. First was the Mandolin.

Things were going great, but I had a hard time using the little "holder" that came with it. It kept poking holes in my veggies and they would fall off. I had seen the Chopped Champions use it without the guard MILLIONS of times, and good grief, I am 3 TIMES their age! (but NOT the memory, apparently) I can handle this. I will just be REALLY careful to not chop all the way to the end of the cucumber. 

NOT.

You know how you feel the minute you do something really bad to you finger... I grabbed it and ran for the bathroom, put a towel on the bloody stump, OK, pretty nice deep slice. It neatly sliced the tip of my finger right off! Not much, not enough to stop the show canning, and I did not look at it, AT ALL. Just taped it up good, and went back to work, I would undo everything and take a look tomorrow. I knew I had to keep it DRY, so I found ONE surgical glove and bought rubber gloves for doing dishes. As canning involves a LOT of water. 

Which brings us to our SECOND new piece of kitchen equipment. 

My husband came home and saw THIS on the table...

I kind of explained to him what happened and promised to use the guard... But the next day he came home from the workplace with THESE!!!

They are KEVLAR gloves for folks who work where they might get CUT! They are perfect! I just put one on the "cutting hand" and be really careful. It allows me to make these:

I call them zucchini noodles and use them as lasagna noodles. 

And these nice hamburger dill pickles!

SO I am back in business and feel blessed that my husband is looking out for me! 

I have a pair in the mail to Bobby Flay, I will let you know what he thinks!! 

Stay Cool!

Teriyaki Chicken

OK. Maybe I will not be a writer. But I can cook... I still want to share food and cooking on this blog. So here is tonight's dinner.

Chicken Stir Fry with Teriyaki sauce. I am still on the "real food" kick, so the garden has been wonderful .

 Stir Fry:

2 chicken thighs cut in pieces. . I used some I saved from a Farmer Bens whole chicken.  

from the garden:

carrots, onions, green beans, snap peas, zucchini in 3 colors, arugula, cilantro, red pepper. 

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a pan.  Cook the chicken pieces. Add all the veggies except the cilantro and arugula. cook till barely tender. Add the greens. just stir a bit. Stir in the Teriyaki Sauce

While this is cooking, make the Teriyaki Sauce:

1/4 C soy sauce

1/4 C honey

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. sesame oil

1 small minced clove garlic

1 T. minced fresh garlic. 

Simmer all this in a sauce pan while the meat and veggies are cooking. 

Serve over brown rice. 

You can use ANY vegetables you have on hand. Fresh and local is best! Also cooked, beef or pork works great, or no meat and use it as you weekly meatless meal! 

Warren said it was great and saved the leftovers for his lunch. I am blessed with this man, as he says that every night, even if it is grilled cheese! 

Just a few extras:

I have planted arugula in all the extra spaces around the yard. Warren really likes it and they use it a LOT on the food network, so it MUST be good! Usually I add it to our salads. I plant some every week so it will keep coming into the fall. My naturopath suggested I eat lots of Arugula, as it is a bitter green and I need that, as I have no gall bladder any more. 

I heard a banging in my sewing room today and I went up there and there was a small BIRD crashing all over the place. My mind shot back about 20 years to when we had a BAT in our living room and I could just not bring myself to deal with the bird, so I closed the door to make a plan. I put on a hat and got our pool skimmer. I was going to open the window, remove the screen and leave the window open and hope he would fly out. So after a few hours I got the nerve to go back in, geared up. I cracked the door, NO BIRD. Looked all over, in closets, attic, window sill, NO BIRD, I thought maybe he had knocked himself silly and would come back to life. NOTHING. NOW I am creeped out even more. I have seen THE BIRDS! When the birds get quiet and WATCH the nice people. Still no bird. 

HOW did it get in?? HOW did it get out?? I went outside to check for a bent screen, missing vent covers, holes in the roof. nothing. 

Then I was forced to call my best friend and ask her if my family had been complaining that I was more nuts lately, delusional, perhaps?? She said, no, really. I asked if  SHE was real. She said yes, and that she would tell me if she was ever NOT real. OK. I have NO way to explain this. Just another one of the "who done it's" from Rinehart Junction Farm. 

Coming soon!

Raw Goat Milk Pudding!