End of the Season

Tonight I watched the Trailblazer's last regular season game from my sofa within arms reach of a large box of tissue. Turns out it was a groaner, but I was disappointed to not be there in person. My husband took me to my first professional basketball game while we were dating, and it didn't take me long to become a pretty big fan of the Portland Trailblazers, or the "Jailblazers" as they came to be known. It was easy to lose interest there for a while, when the Blazers were in the news more often for some of the dumb antics of their players than for their expertise on the court. But the last few years have been very, very different for Blazers fans--we have a superstar, and a local one, at that--we have an owner who is deeply committed to the organization--we have a fan-freaking-tastic coach, and we have a deep, a VERY deep bench. To say that this year held a lot of challenges for the team would be a gross understatement. The team has been riddled with injuries to the point of being unbelievable, and when Joel Pryzbilla suffered a season ending injury, many fans thought that the Blazer's prospects for the playoffs were over. But this amazing team stepped up and met every challenge and ended their season tonight 50-32, just four wins short of their season last year, and as sixth seed in the West.

This weekend the playoffs begin, with the Blazers set to play Phoenix in the first round. Who knows what the playoffs will bring, especially with Brandon Roy's play being questionable since he sustained an injury while playing against the Lakers. What I do know is that this team has a lot of heart and I can't wait to watch them continue their journey no matter where it ends this season.

Spring in the Greenhouse

I have a lot of experiments going on out in the greenhouse right now and they all seem to be going superbly! If you are on Facebook you might remember that I was searching for a waterbed heater a while back--odd...huh? I put a "wanted" ad on Craigslist and after a couple of disappointments actually managed to score 2 waterbed heaters. No, I'm not having a nostalgic moment, but I had been shopping for seed mat heaters for my greenhouse and found that they were terribly expensive. Seed mat heaters look a lot like waterbed heaters, as I recalled, and I thought that perhaps someone out there might have one for sale cheap. Not only were the heaters just half the price that ONE seed mat was, they are much bigger also! A very good score for a girl who LOVES a good bargain.

So the theory is that seedlings start much faster when bottom heat is applied to them. In the past I've used my greenhouse for many different things, but I haven't been big on starting seedlings. So I am starting quite a few seedlings right now and will likely have baby lettuce (mesclun) in just a few weeks! I typically spend quite a bit of money on plants each year, and my theory is that this will save me quite a bit. For now I'm growing lettuce, eggplant and cilantro because I have limited space for the vegetables. They have to be fairly close to the house or else the deer come up and feast upon them.

I just purchased a book that I read many years ago--Square Foot Gardening---and hope to incorporate more of the ideas from that book into my veggie crop this year. The idea is that you don't need a huge area for vegetable gardening and that a lot of space is wasted when vegetable gardens are planted in the traditional way. The methods in the book also reduce the amount of work required--that is always a bonus in my book!

I also ordered a variety of heirloom tomato plants from www.Burpee.com and just got notice that they are on their way. In MHO it is too early to set out tomato plants, so those bad boys will go into the greenhouse for awhile while we prepare a new raised bed for them. I've found a nice spot but I'm afraid it is going to require quite a bit of work to put a new bed in place there.

All the while I am also getting ready to put in a decorative flower bed out in front of the greenhouse--it's been pretty baren and weedy out there and it really needs some work. And I really need a few nice days so that I can get all my ambitious projects started!

Unemployment

The unemployment thing was fun for a while. I got some much needed downtime after two years of full-time work, full-time school, part-time business partner, and part-time wife, AND had some quality time to get my thesis written. Then there was the new grandbaby (last June) and the youngest daughter's wedding (September) my step-daughter's return from overseas (November), and of course, the holidays. After the holdiays, the search got serious and I have been applying for jobs for which I am over-qualified, under-qualified, and not-even-close-to-qualified. Although I recently completed my masters in Manangement, all of my experience is in non-profit, education, and workforce development. I have had a few interviews and honestly thought I had a good chance at a couple of them, and in "normal" times I probably would have, but there are tons of qualified applicants out there right now. In the meantime, since I have some expertise in the area of job search, I have been helping out friends, friends of friends and sometimes complete strangers with resumes, cover letters, job search strategy, and whatever else might come up....each and every person I talk to is unprepared for the difficulty of today's job search. YIKES, if I'm having trouble, I can't even imagine what other people are going through.

5 Minute Sticky Buns

I got my first microwave in 1980 when my lovely eldest daughter Sara was only a few weeks old. It was a thoughtful gift from her dad, who knew that the time I had previously spent preparing food had just taken a serious hit. He got it home after purchasing it and quickly realized that it was not going to fit on the counter tops of our 1940s era kitchen, so he set about building a stand for it. Believe me, it was HUGE by today's standards and cost a whopping $600--in 1980! I wonder how much that would be in today's dollars? Anyway, no one I knew had a microwave, but it came with a fairly hefty instruction manual and cookbook, so I set about trying my hand at cooking with the "Radar Range!"


One recipe that I used over and over again when my kids were little was this one for quick sticky buns--it is easy to keep the ingredients on hand and appears that you spent a lot more time on them than you really did! I "resurrected" the recipe and made them for Dwain and I this morning along with scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced mango & strawberries, and OJ. A very nice little Easter celebration!

5 Minute Sticky Buns

In a round glass casserole or Corningware dish combine:

3T. Butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
nuts or raisins if you like

Melt in the microwave and stir together well.

Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut 1 can of refrigerated biscuits into fourths, add to the mixture and stir gently to coat evenly. Microwave 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes.

Tamale Pie

Tamale pie is one of those foods that remind me of my childhood. Back in the 70s, I thought this was pretty exotic fare and my mom made a pretty good one. I think she got her recipe off the back of the Bisquick box or something. I saw this recipe the other day in a newsletter that I get from the Washington State Extension Agency and decided to try it. It didn't go together as fast as I might have liked--if you decide to make it on a work night, you might want to do some prep work the night before so you can just throw it together when you get home. I made some changes to the original recipe, of course, and I've noted those. Sorry I didn't think to take a picture when it came out of the oven, but I was SO hungry and it smelled so good that all I wanted to do was to dig right in! If anyone who makes this wants to send me a photo, I will be happy to post it. Enjoy!!

Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey breast to keep it low-fat, AND that is what I had on hand!)
1 can kidney beans (the original says black or pinto would also work, but I LOVE kidney beans)
2 T. cornstarch
1- 1/2 c. chopped onion
4 t. chili powder ( I substituted in 1 of the teaspoons with chipotle chili powder, which is available at Safeway and will make it quite a bit warmer with a smoky flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1- 28 oz can of tomatoes, diced (I buy the already diced ones)
1- 4 oz can green chiles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil, add meat, brown and drain off fat, if any. Add beans. Put cornstarch in a small bowl and add the juice drained from the tomatoes. Whisk together. Add to onion/meat/bean mixture over heat and stir well. Stir in
tomatoes, green chiles and chili powder. Cook until mixture is thick. Shouldn't take long.
Spoon into 13 x 9 pan . Spread cornbread topping over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cornbread topping

1- 1/2 c. cornmeal
1-1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
5 T. sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. + 2 T. oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir briskly until just mixed. Pour over meat mixture and bake as above.

Mastery!

I haven't been here for awhile. That's because I've been deeply engrossed with a project--completing my thesis to meet the final requirements for my Master's Degree! A little over a year and a half ago I began a program at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon. I had been researching several different programs for quite sometime, including online programs, and hadn't seen a program that I felt met my needs. The program I chose was part of Warner's ADP (Adult Degree Program), was accelerated, met one evening a week, and followed a cohort model. Most importantly, the program was called, Master's in Management and Organizational Leadership. This was a less specific degree than the Educational Leadership programs I had considered, but not as broad as my earlier attempt at a masters in Public Affairs. Perfect! So in February 2008, I met with a group of 18 people at Warner's East Campus. A few of that group didn't finish with us, but 13 of us will receive our degrees at a ceremony in December! And what a smart, wonderful group of people that I have had the privilege of knowing!

My family and friends have been right by my side throughout this journey and I couldn't have done it without their support. For the last 18 months, my schooling has taken precendent over vacations, dinners out, family events, shopping trips, and just about everything! Thank you for your patience, Dwain, Sara, Brynn, and Debbie most of all! Yesterday, the final group of 5 of us presented our theses for approval and all 5 were approved. A little celebration happened at a neat little Mexican restaurant called Dingo's. Its at 46th and Hawthorne in SE PDX. Thanks guys, it's been quite a ride!

Below is the dedication and acknowledgment from my thesis as one way of saying "Thanks" to everyone who supported me through this journey. Each and every one of you has a piece of my heart

Dedication

This thesis is dedicated to my husband, Dwain, my daughters, Sara, Cara, & Brynn, and the countless friends and other family members who made it possible for me to enroll in, attend and persevere through the intense months of my master’s program. Without their love and support, all I have accomplished here would not have been possible.

Acknowledgements

To my awe-inspiring team, the ‘Couv Crew—I thank you for being there without fail every step of the way.
Jamie, your constant calm, cool, and collected demeanor kept me grounded and on track through a great many rough moments. Your talents as the class party organizer, costume maker, and provider of food made our time together more enjoyable.
Michelle, your sense of humor, willingness to open your heart and your warmth and friendship have inspired me to do my best work. Thank you for leaning on me and letting me lean on you, too.
Christine, your ability to get to the heart of the matter and keep the group on track when we’d rather be doing other things has kept me focused during many group meetings. Your work habits and single-mindedness have kept me motivated and your drive for excellence created a higher standard for me.
To my instructors, most especially Dr. Roger Martin and Dr. Toni Pauls—thank you for believing in me when I was having a hard time believing in myself. Thank you for your patience, flexibility and sense of humor. You certainly needed it with this group.
To my friends—thanks for being available when I had a sliver of time to spend with you, and not being upset when I did not.
To my husband—thanks for your patience with my need for privacy, quiet, and for never complaining about what I was feeding you.
And finally, to my classmates, Brad, Jamie, Michelle, Christine, Joslyn, Sue, Jon, Scott, Jennifer, Andrea, Simone, Emily, and Donelle—thank you for your passion, dedication, humor, curiosity, sense of fun, and friendship—it has made this journey joyful, unique, and downright remarkable.

Chili Cook Off

I had heard about a chili cook-off that an organization I belong to has every year and told my friend Debbie that I might like to do that. So of course, when it comes up, she called me and told me she had signed me up for it! So on Sunday I went to the grocery store for all the fixin's and yesterday spent the better part of the day cooking and tasting. Usually I make vegetarian chili, not because I'm a vegetarian, but because it is really, really good chili that has evolved over the years. My better half advised me that I probably shouldn't make the vegetarian version for anyone outside the household. I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or not ;) I was instructed to bring 5 or 6 quarts and I don't normally make that large of a quantity, so I will give you ingredients only, not amounts.

Not-Quite Vegetarian Chili
Turkey sausage (the kind that looks like keilbasa)
Kidney beans (for the large pot, I used dry, but for a normal batch I used canned)
Canned whole tomatoes
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce
Canned tomato sauce
Garbanzo beans
Sweet onions, sauteed
Red, yellow & orange bell peppers
Dried rosemary
sugar
cinnamon

Place the beans in a large pot and set aside.
Chop and saute the turkey sausage, remove it from the pan and add the onion, chopped, and saute until soft and clear. Add sausage & onion to the pot of beans. Chop and saute the bell peppers, also add these to the beans. Process the canned tomatoes with the chipotles and add to beans. Add tomato sauce and water until consistency is good. Season with a bit of rosemary, cinnamon and sugar. These will balance the heat of the chipotles, especially if you get it a little too hot! That's it! Easy--if you want to make it vegetarian, just leave out the sausage. The sausage gives it a rather smoky flavor that is nice.
To serve the two of us, with plenty of leftovers I use: 1/2 turkey sausage,2 cans of kidney beans, 1/2 can garbanzos, 1 smallish onion and one bell pepper. Adjust spices to taste.