Nancy on the Home Front

The Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Recently we had the opportunity to visit the Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals. The museum is located in our hometown and I was able to get a Cultural Pass from our local library, which covered the cost of two adults. It was the perfect place to take our grandchildren for a visit.

We weren’t sure how long it would take us to visit the museum or if our grandchildren would even enjoy themselves. Were we ever surprised! Richard and Helen Rice began collecting rocks in 1938! In 1952 they constructed this “dream house” designed around their rock hound hobby. The key feature of their home was a full gallery of lighted, built-in showcase in the basement!

The Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals was much larger than we thought. It is one of the finest mineral museums in the Pacific Northwest and one of the best in the nation. There are over 4,000 individual items on view from a collection of over 20,000 specimens.

There are a total of two buildings to explore as well as numerous last rocks outside. Everything is well labeled and there are several interactive displays that our grandchildren enjoyed.

My husband is a real rock house and could have spent all day looks at all the displays. One of the curators gave a Museum Minute where she gave more information of several of the display in one of the rooms. Of particular interest was the Alma Rose rhodochrosite from Colorado. Rhodochrosite is also known as Inca Rose Stone, Raspberry Spar and Manganese Spar. It is one of the signature specimens of the museum.

There is also an amazing collection of petrified wood, which contains over 460 worldwide specimens. When you look at the collection is is hard to believe they were once trees, there is quite a variety of colors!

At the end of your visit the children are allowed to pick a rock from a large rock pile in the yard. Once you find your rock you can take it inside and find out what kind of rock you picked out. It was a fun visit and quite impressive. We are looking forward to returning for another visit.

Goal Setting Updates Week 46

We’ve had a busy last few days! Watching our two grandchildren has kept us busy with barely anytime to focus on goal setting updates! We made plans of things to do while our grandchildren were with us which of course all got changed!

Continue to monetize my blog. Thanks to all of you who have checked out my page on Amazon! If you haven’t yet just click on the link and pay my storefront a visit! I would so appreciate it! Even if no purchases are made Amazon like to see traffic to my storefront! I do appreciate all of your support!

2. Create a cookbook. This goal is not going to be completed this year. Despite al the work I have put into this project I am realizing I have a lot of work still to do. Guess it will be moved to my goals for 2020!

3. Have 20 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week. So nice to have this goal a part of my weekly routine. I’ve been faithful to go to my exercise class three times a week, I just love being able to walk there!

4. Explore ~~ten~~ 2 parks or hiking trails in the state of Washington or Oregon! No new hiking trails this week, our grandchildren did not want to hike and the weather wasn’t that great so we kept ourselves busy in other ways. Writing goal setting updates each week helps keep me focused on the goals I want to complete but it doesn’t mean that get accomplished!

5. Incorporate 20 new recipes into our dinner plans with the focus on healthy eating. COMPLETED! No new recipes this week! I am planning on making a carrot fennel soup soon. I got the recipe from our CSA and it looks delicious.

6. Read 35 new books this year. COMPLETED! One book finished this week, had to return The Pioneers before I could finish it! I did however finish the book Illumination In The Flatwoods by Joe Hutto. It was a delightful read. I loved the author’s descriptions of raising his turkeys and taking them for walks everyday.

7. Complete ~~Four~~ knitting or sewing projects this year. COMPLETED! Managed to get a little more work done on my latest project. My grandson admired it and asked me if I could make him a sweater!

8. Visit family on the west coast. We have been so busy with the immediate family we haven’t had any time to visit any extended family!

9. Explore ~~Six~~ 1 new museums in the area. One more museum to discover before the end of the year! Over the weekend we had hoped to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum but our grandchildren did not want to spend time in the car. Instead we went to the Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals. It is located right in our town! The museum is much larger than I realized and well worth the visit especially for our grandson who is fascinated with rocks! I’m so glad that visiting this museum was part of my goal setting updates! Our favorite rock was the Alma Rose!

10. ~~Find A New Home~~ COMPLETED! Wonderful to have this goal completed! Our new house is finally feeling much more like our home. We are looking forward to celebrating the holidays with our family!

“Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it;
but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object
on a level with yourself. “
J. Howes.

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Gifts From The Kitchen

Are you looking for ideas for gifts from the kitchen? A gift to give to your friends that is easy to put together and helps to create a delicious meal? My sister-in-law gave us this wonderful gift several years ago. We enjoyed it so much I decided to re-create it last year and give to friends. Hopefully they appreciated it as much as we did.

The gift is a spice bag full of spices to make Simon & Garfunkel Roast Chicken. Included with the gift is a card with the directions to create this delicious dinner as well as what to do with the leftovers!

Simon & Garfunkel Roast Chicken

First make up your spice bags. I found the perfect bags on Amazon. I could fill the bags and then seal the top of each bag so that the ingredients stayed fresh.

In each bag put the following ingredients:

4 tsp. Dried rosemary
3 tsp. Ground sage
3 tsp. Dried thyme
½ tsp. Ground pepper
4 Bay leaves

Attach a card to each bag of spices with the following information:

Simon & Garfunkel Roast Chicken

Preheat oven to 425. (Convection if you have it). Coat 2 roasting chickens, a dozen shallots and root vegies with olive oil and all of this mix. Put a half a lemon inside of each chicken.

Roast 20 minutes then reduce heat to 325. Don’t open the oven! Roast 60 more minutes (ish). Allow to sit 15 minutes before carving. Combine leftovers, frozen rice and 1-2 boxes of high quality chicken stock to make soup. Freeze for tomorrow.

Gifts from the kitchen are perfect for gift giving over the holidays. Whether you are baking something or helping others to create a wonderful meal it is sure to be appreciated. Dress the bag of spices up with a festive card and you’ll end up with a very creative gift!

Check out my YouTube video to watch me put the bags together.

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For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front.

Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake

Recently we invited new friends over for dinner, which was the perfect opportunity to make this pumpkin espresso Bundt cake! This recipe was featured on the King Arthur website and their recipes never fail. So many recipes that I make all the time are from their website!

Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. homemade vanilla
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Baking soda
1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt

Filling:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. espresso powder
½ tsp. Cinnamon

Glaze:

1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. rum, optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Make the cake. Beat together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and slat until smooth. Set aside.

Make the filling. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and espresso powder in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Assemble the cake. Thoroughly grease a 10-cup Bundt pan. Spoon 1/3 of the cake batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle half the filling on top. Spoon another third of the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining filing. Spread the remaining batter on top, smoothing it with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze by whisking together the coffee, sugar and run. If the coffee isn’t hot enough to dissolve the sugar, heat briefly, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Brush the glaze evenly over the cake with a pastry brush while the cake is still warm. Serve once the glaze has soaked in and dried a bit. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

I dusted the cake with powdered sugar for a festive look!

IKEA Hacks

When purchasing new office equipment it is not always easy to find exactly what you want and have it work. Often when you purchase IKEA furniture you have to resort to IKEA Hacks.

Moving from Vermont across country meant not moving all of our office furniture and file cabinets. Documents could easily be transported in light cardboard boxes. And the necessary desks, chairs, cabinets, bookcases and file cabinets could all be replaced locally. We sold and gave away two home office furnishings and found new and used items to set up new home offices in Oregon.

In researching local office furniture suppliers online I came across the term “IKEA Hacks” a few times and wondered what that was all about, but didn’t pursue it further. Then we found that IKEA did have some good solutions that were in our price range for office design and storage. We purchased the bookcases, lateral file cabinets, and shelves. Everything went together well and solved our office storage needs perfectly, until I filled my IKEA ALEX Drawer unit/drop file storage cabinet with files and tried to open the drawer!

The IKEA Alex is made for office floors that are not carpeted, as shown in their product photo. Our home offices have medium or full pile carpet that just caused too much friction! Now return the file cabinet after all that assembly? Not an option – we just needed to raise it a bit above the pile, and here is how we solved the problem.

A little time in the workshop recreated the 4 small plastic feet in wood that will raise the unit above the pile. We used ½ X ½ inch hardwood stock, a ¼ inch round dowel and some wood glue to create 4 new wooden feet. If your pile is deeper make stock dimension adjustments according to your situation.

Layout and measure the ½ inch square stock to match the small IKEA plastic feet marking for 4 copies. Drill the eight ¼ inch holes for the dowels first, then cut the ½ inch square stock. Measure the dowel stock to yield 8 one-inch pieces, and cut.

Assemble the feet using wood glue and let dry. Once dry finish to match the color of your cabinet with white or black paint.

Now you can insert these new feet in the bottom of your cabinet and have easy drawer access as it now glides over the top of your carpet.

Goal Setting Updates Week 45

Looks like our clear sunny weather may be coming to an end. The weekend ahead looks like there is rain in the forecast. We’ll have two of our grandchildren for a long weekend so I hope we get some clear weather! Hard to believe the end of the year is just weeks away! Another week flown by and time for the goal setting updates.

Continue to monetize my blog. Thanks to all of you who have checked out my page on Amazon! If you haven’t yet just click on the link and pay my storefront a visit! I would so appreciate it! Even if no purchases are made Amazon like to see traffic to my storefront! I do appreciate all of your support!

2. Create a cookbook. It seems that this next stage of creating a cookbook is even more work than moving all the recipes into a document! Trying to get a little done each week, realizing this goal will be completed in 2020! I look forward to the goal setting updates that says this goal is completed!

4. Explore ~~ten~~ 2 parks or hiking trails in the state of Washington or Oregon! No new parks explored this week. We’ll have our grandchildren for a long weekend so if the weather is good we might get a hike in!

5. Incorporate 20 new recipes into our dinner plans with the focus on healthy eating. COMPLETED! Still trying to focus on healthy eating. I did make an amazing pecan pumpkin bread, which while not entirely healthy was delicious!

6. Read 35 new books this year. COMPLETED! Currently reading two books! One is written by the husband of a woman in my exercise class. It’s called Those Were The Good Old Days! Written by Melvin Van Domelen. It’s fascinating reading all about the local history. I also just started The Pioneers by David McCullough. My husband thought it was a good read.

7. Complete ~~Four~~ knitting or sewing projects this year. COMPLETED! Have not made any further progress on my current sweater but at least this goal is complete for the year!

8. Visit family on the west coast. Busy week last week with our daughter and family visiting. We have grandchild duty this week so no visiting any other family!

9. Explore ~~Six~~ 2 new museums in the area. No new museums this week, we had company all week. However this weekend we’re hoping to explore the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. It was founded in 1962 to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the entire Columbia River region.

10. ~~Find A New Home~~ COMPLETED! Wonderful to have this goal completed! Our new house is finally feeling much more like our home. The majority of the unpacking is behind us and we just have some art work to hang on the walls. So nice to have this goal completed!

“If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
Source Unknown

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For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front.

How To Thread a Needle

As I have gotten older it has become harder and harder to thread a needle when I am sewing. I blame it on my transitional lenses, which make it hard to see where I’m trying to put the thread. The other day I was sorting through my sewing supplies and came upon this little gadget. I figured it must have an important use to have been saved all these years. Maybe it would help me with how to thread a needle.

Let me explain, I have inherited sewing material from my mother and my grandmother. I had no idea where this gadget came from and the only identifying mark on it was the word “Witch”.

After a little online investigation I found that it was a needle threader. I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first but I decided to give it a try. To my surprise it worked like a charm. I will share the photos of this wonderful object and I am going to share a little video I made just so you can see for yourself. Click HERE to watch the video.

Looking at this small tool you would never think it could actually help you when wondering how to thread a needle. However it works like a charm and threads the needle every time. Now if I could just figure out how to use it to thread the needles on my sewing machine.

This tiny little red plastic device is going in the bag with my important sewing tools. I can see myself using this tool for many years to come. I’m not sure where it came from or whom it originally belonged to but I’m so glad it didn’t get tossed out. Have you ever heard of a Witch Needle Threader? If you ever find one be sure to add it to your sewing basket.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

As we head towards the holidays you can be sure that one of the breads I will be filling my freezer with in this delicious pumpkin pecan bread. This recipe was shared by my step sister and it is every bit as delicious as her zucchini carrot bread recipe! I’m going to make a loaf for our thanksgiving table this year and another loaf or two for our freezer. Take advantage of the abundance of pumpkin available this time of year and fill your freezer with this delicious pumpkin pecan bread,

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1-1/2 Cups White Sugar
2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs (Beaten)
2 Cups Processed Pumpkin
2 Cups Finely Grated Carrots
3-1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1-1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 Cups Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 Cup Raisins

Directions:

Beat the sugars and oil until fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well. Add pumpkin and carrot mixture. Mix well.
Sift dry ingredients together; Add nuts and raisins to flour mixture. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture. If too thick, add 2 Tablespoons water. Mix well.
Grease and flour two loaf pans. (Whole pecans can be laid on top of mixture for decoration).

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until toothpick inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean.

Cool on rack 10 minutes before cutting.

This bread freezes well. If freezing, wrap loaf in plastic wrap, and then in aluminum foil.

I know we will be enjoying this pumpkin pecan bread with our tea this winter. Slightly toasted it will be the perfect afternoon snack.

Exploring the Lan Su Chinese Garden

We finally had the opportunity to visit the Chinese Gardens in downtown Portland. Exploring the Chinese Garden was so beautiful. You forget you are in the midst of the city. The Lan Su Chinese Garden or the Garden of Awakening Orchids is located in the heart of Chinatown. It has been called the most exquisite, authentic Suzhou-style garden outside China.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The morning started out quite chilly but as the day wore on the weather got warmer. There was still quite a bit of color in the trees and the reflections in the water were stunning.

Everywhere you look there is beauty. Even the pathways are laid with precision and beauty in mind.

Every window you looked through framed something wonderful to look at. It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying this beautiful garden in the middle of Portland.

Each archway and pathway beckoned you to come see what was next.

The reflections in the water were so beautiful. The water was crystal clear and reflected the colors of the leaves.

There were several displays to look at inside. Imagine sitting at this desk to do your work?

Of course the morning was not complete without a visit to the Tea House.

It was the perfect time to enjoy a cup of Oolong tea.

If you ever find yourself in downtown Portland, take time to visit the Chinese Gardens. It is the most peaceful and beautiful spot in the city. Exploring the Lan Su Chinese Garden is well worth your time.

Goal Setting Updates Week 44

This last week has been so beautiful! Clear blue sky days and cooler nights. We’ve been taking advantage of the sun and getting some good walks in. Can’t believe we’re on week 44 of the goal setting updates!

Continue to monetize my blog. Thanks to all of you who have checked out my page on Amazon! If you haven’t yet just click on the link and pay my storefront a visit! I would so appreciate it! Even if no purchases are made Amazon like to see traffic to my storefront! I do appreciate all of your support!

2. Create a cookbook. It seems that this next stage of creating a cookbook is even more work than moving all the recipes into a document! Trying to get a little done each week, this goal may be accomplished in 2020! I look forward to the goal setting updates that says this goal is completed!

4. Explore ~~ten~~ 2 parks or hiking trails in the state of Washington or Oregon! No new parks explored this week we did enjoy the Chinese Gardens but that’s more of a museum I think then a park! Love sharing my goal setting updates each week, sure keeps me motivated!

5. Incorporate 20 new recipes into our dinner plans with the focus on healthy eating. COMPLETED! Still trying to focus on healthy eating but this week I made a big batch of homemade spaghetti sauce! The grandchildren were spending the night and I was told they enjoy spaghetti. My husband also loves spaghetti so I figured why not!

6. Read 35 new books this year. COMPLETED! Just because I met this goal doesn’t mean I’ve stopped reading! I read two mystery books this week by Kate White. the first one was The Secrets You Keep and the second one was Such A Perfect Wife. The books were such page turners I couldn’t put them down!

7. Complete ~~Four~~ knitting or sewing projects this year. COMPLETED! I’m continuing to knit and making good progress on the baby sweater I started!

8. Visit family on the west coast. This week family is visiting us! Our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter from Washington are here for the week! Such fun having them visit!

9. Explore ~~Six~~ 2 new museums in the area. Finally got around to visiting the Kan Su Chinese Gardens this week. It has been called the most exquisite, authentic Suzhou-style garden outside China. It was so beautiful.

“You should set goals beyond your reach
so you always have something to live for.”
Ted Turner

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site.

For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front.