Island Cottage

IMAGES BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER/THE SEATTLE TIMES
I love Sundays. Whenever possible, a Sunday morning means coffee in bed with the paper. My favorite part of the paper, (I save it for last), is the Pacific Magazine. Every week it is full of fantastic articles on gardening, cooking, and northwest living.

This article about an Island Cottage on Vashon Island jumped off the page. The architects, Vandeventer + Carlander, designed a home that "speaks to the water". Just that phrase alone captured my interest, I love anything that speaks to the water. And it is a dream of ours to own a waterfront home. The views, the storage, the clean lines and open floor plan are right up my alley. At first, I thought, too stark, but as I continued to read, the homeowners describe: "Outside is a table laden with fishing poles, rods, tackle. Nearby, inner tubes and kayaks await the call to duty. River otters, seals, osprey, eagles. A boat trip over to Gig Harbor. Built-in cabinets downstairs hold the TV, Wii, a place for wine and puzzles, and Twister." That sounds like a cozy, family home to me.

What do you think about this streamlined home?

Baked Oatmeal

Three days a week I get up at the crack of dawn and join the Redmond Masters Swim group for a good hard swim workout. The same 3 days, I come straight home and whip up some sort of oatmeal breakie (translation-breakfast). To me, swimming and hot oatmeal go hand in hand. Right now, I am loving Baked Oatmeal from Quaker Oats (thanks for sharing it, mom). It is hearty and delicious, particularly when you add chopped walnuts, raisins or berries on top. Also, this recipe makes great leftovers. Simply refrigerate and reheat. Give it a try, this may become your new favorite.


Recipe and photo courtesy of: QuakerOats.com

Ingredients:

2 cups Quick Quaker® Oats OR 2-1/4 cups Old Fashioned Quaker® Oats, uncooked
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3-1/3 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup cup liquid egg substitute with yolk or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Preparation
Heat oven to 350º F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine oats and granulated sugar. In medium bowl, combine milk, egg substitute and vanilla; mix well. Add to oat mixture; mix well. Pour into baking dish.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center jiggles slightly. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of oatmeal. Using back of spoon, gently spread sugar into a thin layer across entire surface of oatmeal. Return to oven; bake just until sugar melts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set oven to broil. Broil 3 inches from heat until sugar bubbles and browns slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully to prevent burning. It may be necessary to turn baking dish.) Spoon into bowls to serve.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time Time: 40 min

Junk Drawer

Chef Tools

Last week, I spent a few mindless hours cleaning out the kitchen drawers, as previously posted. All was going well until I hit the dreaded "junk drawer". I know that we all have junk drawers in our kitchens, bathrooms, and offices. You have to have a catch all place for items that just don't belong elsewhere. However, if you have no idea what is in your junk drawer due to, well, all the junk, it might need some clearing out.

Items I found that did not belong:

• Hammer
• Wrench
• Garden shears
• Nail polish remover
• Athletic tape
• 500 bobby pins, hairbands & pony tail holders

While the above items are acceptable in a junk drawer, they all have a place elsewhere in the house. Tools in the toolbox, nail polish remover and hair accessories in the kids bathroom, athletic tape in the first aid kit, etc. The basic rule is, if the item has another place, it shouldn't reside in your junk drawer.

One of my favorite organizing items for this drawer are mini-loaf pans for small items. I found a set of 4 at Chef Tools for 9.99. They are perfect for batteries, small tools, loose change, paperclips and rubberbands. Also essential is a paper tray for post-its, note paper, and scrap paper.

Drawers

Not this kind:

David Beckham Armani

This kind:

Ikea
What a crazy week, my friends and I all have a lot on our minds. A running inner dialogue of health, prayers, love and gratitude to those I care for has had me super antsy. If I pick up a book, I will read the same sentence over and over. Napping isn't going to happen and I already swam laps for over an hour.

So, what is my go to distraction? Drawers. And while I can, will and do pause on David Beckham "drawers", I am actually referring to mindless productivity with a controlled, sparkling outcome: cleaning out kitchen drawers. Empty, scour, throw out unnecessary items, reorganize and move on to the next.

What's your distraction therapy? Would this work for you?

Snowshoe Adventure

I am lucky to have great friends that are always up for an adventure. And yes, a snowshoe walk is an adventure in my book. A few weeks ago, a swim friend planned this outing through the Snoqualmie Pass forest service. Six of us drove 45 min. to the pass,(Cascade Mountain Range), on a beautiful, sunny day. The forest service provided the snowshoes and the ranger for a suggested donation of $20/person.

The walk was incredible as we passed through sunlit old growth forest, over melting creek beds and into clearings where we could feel the sun warming us. Ranger Pat was the perfect guide, teaching us the wonders of a winter forest throughout the hike. Did you know that snow worms existed? Live trees emit heat due to sap production? We hiked for a couple of hours stopping for lunch in an open meadow. The snow shoe hike was the perfect combination of working out, experiencing something new, discovering nature in winter and enjoying friends.

If you live in the NW and would like more information, visit: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest-Recreational Activities.

Our next adventure: The Alcrataz Invitational Swim.

Coffee Table Alternatives

Books as table-Pottery Barn
Chunky-David Smith & Company
Trunk - HGTV
Concrete & Steel - CommuteHome

It appears that the Kilim upholstered ottomans that I featured last week, were not a big hit. How about some of these coffee table alternatives?

• Stack of Books - looks very cool but completely throws my orderliness nerve into a tick
• Chunky Bench - love the expanse and space but the size is so grandiose
• Beautiful Trunk - gorgeous, decorative yet simple
• 2 Concrete topped tables - these are definitely my favorite. I love concrete and Wendy has turned me into a decorate in pairs convert

Do you have a creative coffee table solution? Which alternative is your favorite?

Crunchy Banana Muffins

Because I have "karmacentric" ideas about food, I love this recipe for Crunchy Banana Bread. I believe in a plentiful pantry to nourish my family as well as a near obsessive desire to not waste food. This recipe uses that bunch of brown bananas, as well as the multiple bags of leftover cereal. You know, the stale crushed up remains that no one will ever eat.

Crunchy Banana Bread - Where's Mom Now That I Need Her Cookbook:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 C. flake cereal remains (I use cornflakes, Honey bunches of Oats)
1 1/2 C flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
3 C mashed bananas
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla

Cream oil and sugar, beat in egg. Stir in cereal. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, stir into cereal flake mixture. Combine bananas, water and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture. (Add 3/4 raisins or chocolate chips). Bake in greased muffins tin for 16-18 minutes at 350, until golden and springy on top.

This is my kids favorite after school snack!