St. Jacob's and strawberry picking

I have a lot of updating to do because I've been slacking in my blogging duties.

My friend, Daisy and I went walking in St. Jacob's.  The walk was gorgeous and green.  And St. Jacob's is a town I'd love to explore because of the cutesy little shops.  I love seeing the talent from the Mennonites that reside here.

Our mapped out trail.  It was surprisingly cool that morning.

Apparently, they don't allow people to ride their horses along the trail.  Such a sad day.

The lovely river

In this bag, provided by some thoughtful people, were condoms and lubricant.  I laughed that people would be willing to have "business time"out on a trail. 

Canada day, Greg and I watched most of the match between the U.S. and Germany, and then headed over to the Mitchell's for a potluck.  (I'd say BBQ, but the BBQ actually wasn't on...)  We played with friends, laughed, and talked, and then Greg and I headed home to watch the fireworks that was literally across the street.  I feel lucky that we didn't have to drive anywhere else 'cause the traffic was terrible.  The funny/terrible part about that night was the number of cars parked on the lane divider.  I didn't know you could get away with this!!  A cop on a motorcycle actually had to drive around the street to keep traffic moving because so many people were also parking illegally in the street.  The cop was pretty awesome just giving the warning, "Keep moving!  This isn't a parking lot!  I will have to write you up if you don't move your car!"

On the 4th of July I ended up working 'cause I helped a friend out on Monday by watching her kids on Monday.  Fortunately, I didn't have to go to work until the afternoon on the fourth, so I got to pick strawberries with my friend Daisy and her kids.  I had a blast picking strawberries, and we were fortunate that the weather had cooled down quite a bit since the hot weather I experienced on Monday while watching kids and playing outside with said kids.

With the strawberries I picked, I was able to make about 10 cups of jam (I made two types: freezer jam made with pectin and cooked jam made with lemon juice and sugar.).  I also froze a lot of strawberries.  The strawberries were a softer and smaller variety, which in my opinion, are better for jam making then for cutting up and serving on a plate.

M. holding up her basket of berries.

Y. taking a break

R. testing the strawberries

Our haul: 26 & 1/2 lbs all together!!  

Kimchi

Lately, I've been on a hunt to find some really good Korean recipes.  After my mom went to South Korea for the military, I've been interested in the Korean culture.  Fortunately for me, I have a friend from Burma who enjoys cooking a lot of Asian foods and is willing to teach me.  I just have say one thing really quickly.  I was told that the Asian market in Kitchener is very small.  Lies.  They haven't seen a small Asian market.  Try going to the Asian markets in Provo or Orem, Utah.  I was told that the market in Toronto was much better, but for a white girl like me, I was pretty satisfied with this place even though the smell of fish was overpowering.

Anyway...
If you are looking for a kimchi recipe, I suggest looking here.  Maangchi is a fabulous place to start learning how to make Korean foods. As a side note, my friend and I didn't make the kimchi with the porridge and we didn't use the dropwort.  We did, however, add an Asian pear.  This kimchi rocks.

My friend did the hard part cutting up the vegetables so beautifully. 

 I only had one yellow glove for mixing this kimchi together.  Wear gloves unless you want red pepper flakes to stain or burn your hands...

Mixing the cabbage, sauce, and vegetables together.

My friend was so happy that this kimchi turned out so well! 

 

The Night We Met

   I have been married for a little for almost five years, and I, like many of people out there, still get the question "how did you meet?".  I try to give a simple version which is we met through a mutual friend, so that I can avoid all strange looks and embarrassment since this story is embarrassing for me.  But I like that I have a memorable story, and that Greg and I can laugh at it still.  Now the question I have for you is who made the first move?  Greg or me?

Part 1: Feeling Lonely

   In late October 2008, I went on a date on a Friday night that was a bit disappointing, and I went home relieved that the date was over.  I felt like I needed to do something to help me kind of forget it because it was slightly awkward (something that ironically never happened). Fortunately, my friend, Chris, called me right after my date dropped me off.  He asked whether or not I wanted to come over to his new condo to watch a movie even though it was like 11 p.m. at the time. I jumped on the opportunity to have some fun with my friend who I knew from North Carolina.  Chris came over to pick me up because I didn't have a car, and I met him at my door, and saw someone else right behind him. I thought to myself, "Who is this nerdy, short guy?" Now, Chris is 6'7", so anyone standing next to him looks quite little (Greg isn't short; he's about average height 5'11"). So, Greg and I hurriedly introduced ourselves, and Chris drove me to his house, and Greg followed us.
When we got to Chris' place, he formally introduced me to his friend, Greg, who was wearing a black sweatshirt with "Now accepting applications for a girl friend" in Japanese at the time, told me that he was studying Japanese at BYU, and that he was from California.  We talked a bit more, Chris showed off his new California king-sized bed, and then decided to watch the movie "Happy Gilmore" together.

Part 2: The Couch

   Chris had a few new pieces of furniture at the time for his new condo.  One of which was a couch, but the downfall was is that the three-cushioned couch only had two recliner chairs.  On this night, I ended up getting the middle seat that didn't have a recliner. So partway through the movie, Chris realized that both he and Greg have a recliner for their feet, and I didn't. He then asked if I wanted to switch places with either him or Greg so I could have a recliner. I replied playfully, "No, it's okay; I get to sit in between two good-looking guys," and then I preceded to put my arms around both of them.   I think I removed my arms soon thereafter (Greg says otherwise, but I'm not sure what happened at this point), but for some reason Greg decided it would be fun to cuddle with me, and pulled me closer to him. My initial reaction was thinking what is he doing ?  I hardly know him!  How awkward!! But I didn't want to make things weird by yelling at Chris's friend to get away from me... and I think I was bit vulnerable because of my awkward date.  At one point, I looked over at Chris, and he was curled up by himself, sitting as far away as he could from us cuddle bugs.  After the movie, Chris, after watching other people who just barely met cuddle on his new couch, asked Greg to take me home. Greg happily took me home with him.

Part 3: My Doorstep

   At this time, it was really late--like 3 a.m.-- as Greg drove me home.  I was exhausted at this point.  However, I recall that he talked about his family on the way home. Greg recalls me being unable to give him directions to my apartment, which I have to say is a lie. I know my directions were correct. (How could he forget where I lived?  He met me at my apartment earlier!)  I remember thinking he was just driving all around town on his own accord.  Greg was a gentleman that evening; he walked me to my door when he dropped me off. He asked me if I was interested in going over to his apartment on Sunday for a "Nightmare Before Christmas" sing-along with his roommates.  I thought it would be fun, so I said yes.  We then exchanged phone numbers for our upcoming date.  As we were about to part, Greg moved in closer to give me a hug (ya know, since we cuddled and all he thinks he can get away with this), which at the time I thought he was trying to give me a kiss--a terrible signal to mix up!! So we KISSED! Afterwards, Greg said, "Well... that was awesome," and then left.  I was kind of surprised by his comment, and I felt strange because I let him kiss me...

Part 4: After Thoughts

    I went inside my apartment mortified because he kissed me. My roommate woke up when I went to bed, and we talked about what happened that night. I told her that I wasn't sure I wanted to see this guy ever again because he kissed me and cuddled with me. She then told me that I didn't have to, but I still owed her candy because Greg and I kissed (one of those strange BYU traditions).  Greg went home with ice cream because he kissed me (this tradition varies from apartment to apartment), and then told his roommates, "I don't know what it is about this face, but I just got face-raped today."
   I am not sure why I gave Greg a second chance after he kissed me, but I think it was more of curiosity.  Greg was an interesting guy, despite the fact that he kissed me on the first night we met.  But it wasn't until a couple of months later that I actually realized that it was me who initiated this kiss.  Greg said, "Yeah, it was you initiated the kiss, AND not only that you pushed me up against the wall.  "Oh... really?"  I remember calling Chris the day after Greg and I first met and telling him, "Your friend kissed me.  I don't know what he was thinking, but he's really forward, and I'm not really sure what to do in this situation."  Chris then called and talked with Greg, and Greg defended himself by saying, "I don't know what she's talking about because she kissed me first!  I would have fallen down if there wasn't a wall behind me!"

So, I guess Greg really was giving me a second chance...

So there you have it: the story of how Greg and I met.  I'm so glad I did meet him because he is a wonderful guy.  We still disagree about who made the first move-- I still think Greg did it. 

Canada in May

Finally spring has arrived!  And I have never seen so many dandelions before in my life!  I walk by a field of dandelions quite often, and I have to say that it is kind of beautiful.  These dandelions just came in full force along with ants...   Unlike BYU, University of Waterloo just doesn't care that the campus has beautifully manicured grass and covered with pretty flowers, so I just get to see a more natural beauty around here.  

View of my backyard with all of the dandelions, and our trusty A/C window unit.  Stay strong window unit.  

I wanted to add this picture in as a reminder of how far we've come since our hardcore winter!  This is pretty much what my backyard looked like in February.

Since it has been so nice out I've taken the opportunity to go on some really lovely walks around my house.  I discovered this cool nature trail along Laurel Creek and I've also found some trails around Columbia Lake.  

Someone made a cute little 'thinking' bench along Laurel Creek. 

Laurel Creek--along the marshes.  So beautiful!

A number of little ponds surround CLV, and I found a huge nest of geese with their cute little goslings in one of the ponds!  Aww!  

Columbia Lake

On Victoria day, (go here for more info on Victoria day) Greg and I went to the Mitchell's house for a bonfire and fireworks.  They have chickens, sheep, and a pony, and I went to feed them along with the kids at one point in the evening.  I just had to take a picture of this sheep.  I guess the grass is really greener on the other side for sheep!

Last night we had dinner with our friends.  We originally set up a dinner party with our friend, Phyo, who is the lovely lady on the right in the picture above, and we thought it would be nice to have dinner with the sisters in case they got transferred next week.  We've been hanging out with the sister missionaries quite a bit since Greg hasn't had to study for classes this summer.  The gal standing on the left side of me is Sister Christenson from Utah and the gal on the right side is Sister Fragapane most recently from Germany (she is from Argentina originally).  Our friend Phyo is a year ahead of Greg in the accounting program, and because I told her I like Korean food, she brought a couple of delicious Korean dishes.  She is a fabulous cook, and I'm excited for when her comprehensive exams are over in June so that we can make kimchi together.

Anyway, that is what has been going on here in Canada for us.  What about you?  Exciting news or plans coming up?   

  

Theodore Janke Jr.

I am pretty familiar with military life since a large number of my family has served in the military.  I am very grateful for them, and for their service because I know being in the military is demanding on them and their families.  I can easily list that I know a number of my ancestors and my immediate family have served in the military or been in the military during times of war, but boasting about something like that makes you kind of depressed since being in the military obviously means fighting and possibly dying.  

This Memorial day, I just wanted to remember one person from my mother's mother's side of the family who served and, unfortunately, died during the Vietnam War.  His name is Theodore Janke, Jr.  He's one of my grandmother's cousins. You can find him on the Vietnam Memorial in Washingon D.C. or here.  (Honestly, finding someone you know on this wall is a downer.)  I, of course, never knew him, but I am grateful he served, and sad that he died.

Here's to you, Theodore Janke Jr.

"Bubble gum" reads

Not too long ago, I came across several pins on Pinterest about how terrible the series Twilight is.  (Guys this isn't hipster any more.)  I think the world understands now that Twilight isn't the most well-written book out there.  But hey, it still made a lot of money and people liked it which is something we can't say about Moby Dick when it first was published.

But I would like to remind people that we have different genres of literature--some are well-written classics while others are 'bubble gum' books.  I define bubble gum books as the books that are easy to pick up and don't take long to get through while keeping you entertained for a while.  I would say that most people, including myself, were entertained by this series and hoped that Bella chose Edward over what's-his-name.  I  mean, I am glad that Twilight was around so I could definitely get the five-hour unnecessary break I needed from studying to read through it and then proceed to take another two-hour break to go see it with Greg.

I would also like to add that Bella may have ONLY just cared about having a boyfriend and falling in love, but she wasn't the only one who thought about love at her age, right?  I will be the first to admit that falling in love was on the list of things to do while a teenager.  Yes, Bella did cry excessively, but didn't we all cry a bit when things didn't work out?  Sure, Bella may not have started a wide-spread revolution like Katniss (vampires and werewolves unite!), but she still succeeded in getting her man (which is something most of us hope for!).  See!  We can all learn something from Bella, and then never read about her again.

 Anyway, enjoy your bubble gum literature this summer while you get a tan or go on a trip to get a tan.

Recipe: Fried Rice

 I wanted to share my fried rice recipe with y'all today.  I really love making this because it is a one pot dish for dinner, and I always have plenty of leftovers for lunch the following day.  I originally got this recipe from a class I took at BYU, and it's actual name is "Pineapple and Ham Fried Rice", however; I don't use ham very often, but I generally add pineapple to the pan.  Another reason I like this recipe is that it's so versatile: you can use whatever meat you'd like (although I prefer using chicken most often) and whatever vegetables you like (while mandarin oranges aren't a vegetable I don't recommend substituting them for pineapple as they will most likely fall apart while cooking).  The amount for each of the vegetables I add to this recipe is estimated.

Ingredients:

2 cups short-grain rice
4-5 eggs, beaten
garlic to taste
butter
Soy sauce (I use a gluten-free, properly fermented soy sauce like this brand.)
coconut oil
garlic, salt, and ginger to taste
chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
Sesame seed oil
1 medium onion, diced OR 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1/3 cup of peas, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup mushrooms
1 can pineapple chunks, drained  
1 cup chopped cabbage

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package direction on stove top or in a rice cooker.  Heat butter in a large pan.  Add beaten eggs and garlic to taste.  You don't want to scramble the eggs, however; but allow the eggs to cook until the bottom has set.  Cook the eggs until they are done, but not dry.  When eggs are finished, cut them into pieces.

For the chicken, I prepare a little sauce by combining water or chicken broth and 2 tbsp soy sauce in a small bowl to pour over after the chicken has been cooked on the outside. Using the same pan, add butter or coconut oil and melt it over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, and sprinkle garlic and ginger over it, and then add the sauce.  Remove chicken from heat once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, and cover.

Add more coconut oil to the same pan and melt it over medium-high heat.  Add vegetables one by one. I generally throw in the carrots first because they take longer to cook.  When the rest of the vegetables have become softer, I add in pineapple and frozen peas.  I season the vegetables with garlic, salt, and soy sauce to the vegetables.

(When I cook with carrots, I don't care about peeling them.)

Above: of the vegetables and pineapple. For this batch, I added mushrooms, pineapple, carrots, peas, green onions, and cabbage.

 Once vegetables are done, turn the heat down low and add rice, eggs, and chicken to vegetables.  Combine all of the ingredients, but be careful to not over stir.