Author Archives: Ellen

Armed Forces Day!

Today is Armed Forces Day. We are proud of our Marine and our daughter who supports her husband as he serves our country here and abroad!

Thank you Andrew! May God continue to protect you from the evil in our world.

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

Thank you to all those who serve in the military! We appreciate you.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake ~

In April I visited the Skagit Valley Tulip festival and after I walked through the beautiful tulip fields I stopped at a fresh road stand market in the valley on my way back home. They had fresh rhubarb from their fields available so I decided to buy some to take home. I ended up making a Rhubarb Coffee Cake.

I’ll admit that I had never used rhubarb in my kitchen before but was pleased with the lovely color and result.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Filling:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 4 cups fresh washed and chopped rhubarb
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Optional:
You can add 1 cup fresh blueberries and 1 cup fresh strawberries or 2 cups fresh strawberries and then cut down on the rhubarb to 2 cups.
Cake:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cold butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk mix)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup cold butter
For the filling:
  1. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a sauce pot and add in the rhubarb.
  2. Cook over medium heat until the sugar and cornstarch dissolves with the liquid that is extracted from cooking the rhubarb.
  3. Cook for at least 2 minutes. This helps the cornstarch break down.
  4. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan by lightly greasing it.
Method for Cake and Topping:
  1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together in bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter.
  3. Beat eggs, buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl and add to the the other ingredients until moistened.
  4. Put 2/3 of this batter into prepared pan.
  5. Spread the filling on top of this layer.
  6. Add the remaining batter on top spreading it as evenly as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t cover it all. Also the batter will be sticky to deal. You can grease your fingers with a little butter to help spread the batter.
  7. In a small bowl combine the dry topping ingredients.
  8. Cut in the butter until crumbly.
  9. Spread the topping over the top of the last layer of batter as evenly as possible.
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean and top begins to become golden brown. Ovens vary, so check after 45 minutes and don’t worry if it takes longer than 50 minutes.

 

The Merry Month of May…

My yard busts out in all it’s pink glory in the Month of May. Get ready for pink overload. I’ll throw in some non-pink, too, just for some contrast.

The Rhododendron is the Washington State Flower. We have 4 mature plants in our yard. We added a new Rhoddy last year from our trip to the Rhododendron garden on Whidbey Island. When it blooms it should be yellow.

Here’s that little break from pink I was talking about. This is one of our dwarf Top Hat Blueberry bushes that can thrive in pots.

Our Rosemary bush is in full bloom. We use the fresh rosemary year round in cooking.

These pansies are still making me smile. I can see them from my kitchen window.

More proof that I have other flowers that aren’t pink in my yard and on my deck.

My Lenten Rose has gone mostly green at the end of it’s cycle.

My azaleas are full. This darker variety is in full bloom and the light pink has all budded and waiting to open up fully.

My Dogwood tree only has two blooms this season and my lilac has none. I’m wondering if I planted the lilac in a spot that is too shady…

Yes, my Dogwood tree when it blooms fully should also be a lovely blast of pink. Here’s hoping it thrives…

Hope you are thriving and enjoying Spring wherever you are and as not to forget our friends in the Southern Hemisphere you should be enjoying your Fall. Have a great weekend everyone.

Notecard Party May

I’m posting some old photos from previous posts on my blog for Vee’s Notecard Party. They are all from previous trips we took to Great Britain in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

This was taken at the Hailes Abbey (a 13th century Cistercian Abbey) near Winchcombe, Gloucester, England.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ~ “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

This photo is from Magdalene College in Oxford, England.

Yorkminster in York, England. Photo taken from stairwell in the minster. The roofing material is sheets of lead.

Hollows Farm in the Borrowdale Valley, Lake District, England.

All of these photos were taken before I had a digital camera. I didn’t turn off the date stamp on some of them, either. Oh how I’m looking forward to our return trip to Great Britain in September with my digital camera.

The middle of May already. Do you have plans for Memorial Day Weekend? We are hanging out at home as Dear leaves for a conference the following week to Chicago. I’m staying home for that conference…

Back to the Beach…

When we were in Huntington Beach for Debbee and Lenny’s wedding we had the chance to walk to the beach and enjoy the sand and surf for a couple hours after a delicious brunch at Nick and Vera’s (Father and Mother of the bride).

My sister Vera lives within walking distance to the beach so we put our flip flops on and started walking…

We had quite the volatile weather on Monday, winds, calm, sunshine, fluffy clouds, dark clouds, downpours, lightning, thunder. How are things in your corner?

Free Them 5K

On Saturday we met up with some of our small group to participate in World Concern’s Free Them 5K, helping build awareness of the worldwide problem with human trafficking.

This year the participants numbered over 2000.

Our son’s company was a large contributor and had a tent on campus with a giveaway. We were sad that Josh could not participate in person this year because of a recreational soccer injury he received earlier in the week that has had him home having to stay off his feet.

Another successful 5K/10K and hopefully our DIL Laura will have a more restful week now that this major responsibility is complete. After the walk Dear and I stopped by Chipotle to order some takeout food to deliver to our injured son and a meal for our DIL to enjoy once she got home from all her responsibilities at the 5K.

Today we are back in a rainy pattern here in the Pacific Northwest. It was fun to get phone calls from my kids one after another today to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. Flowers showed up at my door today, too.

On another note I got a lead on a high school kid who is trying to earn money for a mission trip so I might get some help with the yard work. I’m happy to pay well for someone earning money for missions. I only have 3 things on my calendar this week…woohoo. How about you?

Heavenly Sunlight ~ Hymn

Heavenly Sunlight

Verse 1
Walking in sunlight, all of my journey;
Over the mountains, thro’ the deep vale;
Jesus has said “I’ll never forsake thee;”
Promise divine that never can fail.

Chorus
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine;
Hallelujah! I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

Verse 2
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Saviour and Guide;
He is the light, in Him is no darkness,
Ever I’m walking, close to His side.

Verse 3
In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing,
Pressing my way to mansions above;
Singing His praises, gladly I’m walking,
Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.

Happy Mother’s Day to all who wear that title!

And That’s A Wrap!

Another busy day for Lovella and this time Kathy is joining her for an morning interview on Global BC News . Click on the link to see the interview.

Steve Darling will be interviewing them on the 9-10 am hour. Lovella has been on a nonstop schedule for more than a couple weeks now and I’d just like to ask for some prayer for her especially as the week winds down with this interview. So if you are a person of prayer that would be really appreciated.

Anneliese and Lovella just got back from Toronto where they had an interview on 100 Huntley Street that will be aired today. Click on the link to see the interview.

All the B.C. girls were also busy last night doing a presentation at Sardis Fellowship Baptist for their Spring Tea.

I’ve had it easy this week for sure compared to the rest of the girls. But I am missing stuff like this…

I keep looking on the kitchen counter to see if someone left platters of food out for me. These platters were from our Sunday evening Faspa last weekend at Lovella’s where lo and behold these old gals showed up again…

We’re going to have to find out who keeps tipping them off as to where we are celebrating!!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone.

Today I’m headed to a WOW luncheon at my church where I get to hear an old friend from my first church in the Seattle area. She’s speaking on Laughter and Gratitude. Tomorrow Dear and I are participating in  World Concern’s Free them 5K to help raise awareness about Human Trafficking. Our DIL is part of a team that has worked tirelessly this week to make this event a success.

Hope your weekend is filled with laughter and gratitude!!

From the Farm…

…to the Farm Market!

We so enjoy the relationship the Mennonite Girls Can Cook have with Charlotte at Lepp Farm Market. Many of our girls were raised on farms and now live off their farms. We are always treated well at Lepp and Sunday was another great day here. Our day started with a very good and challenging message from Lovella and Anneliese’s pastor on being sacrificially generous. After the service we all headed to Lepp Farm Market to enjoy brunch before our book signings began.

Lots of  delicious options plus ingredients to choose from for the chef to make your own personal omelette.

The weather was gorgeous and Charlotte had tables set beautifully for our outdoor brunch.

While having brunch I looked up and spotted Josh and Laura walking up to the market. I was busting at the seams with joy to see their faces and to know they trekked all the way from Seattle to bless me with their presence. It was so much fun to introduce them to all the girls and the husbands. Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart.

Our Josh is a real “people person”, can you tell? I’m glad Marg captured these moments! Thank You Marg! Josh and Laura joined the men and Amy on a grand tour of Lepp Farm Market while the girls got busy signing books.

After the farm market tour Josh and Laura picked up their books that were all signed and headed back across the line.

Then we had a another special visitor arrive!

Marg’s 101 year old Father in law arrived to see what we were up to.

I think he is quite pleased with his daughter in law.

We all decided we should take a photo with our oldest supporters that came to Lepp Market. Along with Marg’s Father in law and Helen, Bev’s dad who is 90 drove over for the event, too. What a blessing!

Another sweet moment from the weekend that made me tear up was when Marg’s grandsons came to Wink’s with their personal cookbooks in hand.

They had marked their favorite recipes in the book and wanted us authors to sign on the page where their favorites were pictured.

It seems little Silas really likes my Blintz recipe and requests them at Oma and Opa’s house. For the record Marg and Silas call them crepes. Don’t tell my Russian friends! This little guy made my day!! Thank you to Judy for capturing these moments!

Another guy that’s going to make my day shortly is Dear. He’s on his way home from the airport right now. It’s been a long 5 days without seeing him. Blessings on your day!

Afternoon and Evening…

…on Saturday in Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

Wendy at Winks along with her staff welcomed us with a most beautiful setting for our 2nd book signing of our weekend.

If you haven’t visited her store yet you really need to put it on your list and you won’t be disappointed.

Many books had been pre-sold and were waiting for us to sign so we got busy.

Anneliese’s daughters both played a part in our day here with one sharing cupcakes from her own cupcake business and the other blessing us with her lovely violin serenade.

It was so much fun to meet the “girls” families. Judy’s DIL brought her children to see their grammy. Anneliese’s granddaughter is sitting on the chair watching with interest. I’ll share more in another post of one of my sweetest moments at Winks.

The patio was filled with beautiful flowers.

How Great Thou Art was on my heart and mind all weekend.

Some of us stole away to do a little shopping.

As Anneliese’s daughter played her finale we packed up and headed to our next event.

This is the peaceful drive up to Sweet Dreams Luxury Inn in Abbotsford.

This is where we would wrap up our evening signing books for each other and for our publisher and then having a lovely dinner served to us.

We took some time to take a few more photos donning our new aprons that Julie sewed from material chosen by Lovella and Kathy.

On our way out we noticed that our Betty matched the beautiful flowers that were centerpieces on our tables at dinner.

Another full day complete we headed to our homes and hotels full of good memories of our day. On Sunday we had one more full day starting with a church service.

Today is Tuesday and I’m still trying to get back in my normal groove. Seeing how it’s noon already that groove seems to be escaping me. We started out today in a cloudy pattern instead of our several bright sunny days. The sun is breaking through as I finish this post.  Dear has one more full day in San Diego at a conference and I’m looking forward to him coming home tomorrow. Are you looking forward to anything?