Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Campbell Christmas Letter 2013

This year, we decided to crowdsource the family Christmas letter.  Each member of our family was randomly assigned to write about another family member.  Here’s what we came up with:

Scott (by Jerome) - Scott Campbell, patriarch of the Ohki-Campbell household, is currently employed as the president of Decagon Devices, a position which he has held for a little over two years.  His main athletic achievement for the year was finishing a half-ironman triathlon.  Unfortunately, your correspondent was unable to witness this endeavor because Scott’s wife didn’t want her children to be present when he was in “racemode”.  In preparation for the family’s Oregon Coast trip, he painted the family travel trailer, transforming its surface from a dingy off-white to a brilliant pearl sheen.  The only downside to this project was that your correspondent had to assist with the sanding of the trailer’s surface prior to painting.  His passion for cooking has continued, resulting in the perfection of “sauce-ome” (sauce+awesome), which can make any old hunk of meat into a first-class meal.

Marie (by Scott) - My wonderful wife continues to make the Young Women’s organization run smoothly, mostly by keeping the girls well-fed with cookies during the last hour of church each week.  Upon re-assembling her sewing area after last year’s renovations, she fueled her insane quilting sessions with web-streamed episodes of “This American Life”.  I convinced her that buying a road bike was a good idea.  She sometimes rides it on a trainer indoors, but I think she’s still pretty skeptical about the whole thing.  Marie sometimes reprises her role as home “creative director”, most recently as the master-mind of a stairs wainscotting project.

Jerome (by Asha) - This year Jerome turned 14, and started 9th grade at Pullman High.  Every morning, he wakes up at 6 am on his own to head to early morning seminary.  While not busy with school and cross-country, he loves to watch BBC’s “Dr. Who”, which he has hooked me on as well.  He also makes small-scale props from Dr. Who using cardboard, balsa wood, and hot glue.  He enjoys choir at school, and this year was the first freshman from PHS accepted to All-State Choir. 

Asha (by Quinn) - Asha has a door alarm.  I think she likes it because if someone tries to steal something from her room, she knows, unless she’s at school.  Asha started middle school and Young Women this year.  Asha likes gymnastics.  She gets lots of medals.  Asha likes Taylor Swift, but she listens to it so much that I get a little tired of it.  Asha plays pretty music on the piano.  She practices all the time.  I like the song she’s learning now.  It’s the hard one that has a note that is hard to reach - “River Flows in You”.

Kai (by Marie) - If you want something done and you can convince Kai to do it, he will deliver.  Incidentally, that’s one of the first things Scott’s mom told me about him.  If you are Kai’s younger brother, luck is on your side.  He will share everything and let you in on all his adventures.  In fact, Quinn wanted to invite all of Kai’s friends to his birthday party because he always includes Quinn when he has friends over.  Since I know Kai to be a boy who hates sitting still, I’ve been surprised that he likes school, and proudly lays out tests and papers for me to admire when he gets home from school.  He is often busy building something with Lego bricks.  His favorite bedtime activity is listening to books read by Scott, with his favorite being “The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear”.  This is actually one of the only times Kai will sit still.  

Quinn (by Kai) - Over the year Quinn started kindergarten in August, started loving Transformers Prime in July, started liking Tron Uprising, and had a birthday in November.  I like to play with Quinn because we sometimes get in fights but we always work it out and he likes what I like.  Quinn started swim lessons again this year, and Mom says he has good form because he floats.

Merry Christmas!  

Thanksgiving

This year we had my brother Takuya's family over all the way from Las Vegas.  It was such a treat.  We were mostly too busy to remember to take pictures, but here are just  few we managed to take.     

The girls were so excited to be together that they woke up before seven and started helping me put breakfast on.  Asha made a turkey head with felt at achievement days, and we made a fruit turkey with it.  The pumpkin bread pudding made with baguette was a big hit.     

The dinette was the perfect place for games.  This pretty much went on the whole visit.  

Here is our Thanksgiving table.  All 13 of us fit around our table. 

Lots of Lego and blocks play happened by the cozy fireplace.   

And here we are, ready to feast. 

This year we followed Takuya and Sarah's tradition and said what we were thankful for around the table in the order of the alphabet.  That was fun and there were some creativity involved.  We are thankful for all of our family wherever they may be.         

Guess who came to say hi

Every year they come and eat our soggy tomatoes that have previously been frozen multiple times. 

We have never been prompt at cleaning up the garden, but now we can feel good about not getting to it right away.  

Asha got too close.

Dinette progress and painted banister

Scott made a dinette while I was at girl's camp back in July.  I kept thinking I would save this post until everything is finished, but it is time I give a progress report.  I originally got the idea for a dinette here.  I fell in love with the idea of having a fun and cozy spot for our kids right in the kitchen.  I could just picture them with their cousins and friends eating their after school snack, doing crafts or even doing homework there.      

Scott thought about it for a while, measured some benches at church and at the Thai restaurant, looked up some plans on magazines, and then drew ours up.  He wanted to make sure it was going to be comfortable, so he angled the back, seat, and foot pieces.  He also added the chunky molding details to match the rest of the kitchen.  We chose the trim white paint, but after looking at it in our kitchen for two months, we are leaning towards re-painting it in the same warm grey color as the kitchen cabinets.  The white feels too stark.   The next step is deciding on the color of the vinyle cushion.  I want to have a professional make it, but Scott thinks I can buy an industrial sewing machine and sew it up.  I am not sure if my skills can do these benches justice.  I am pretty happy sewing bibs and blankets.          

He added filing cabinets under the seats.  Always nice to have more storage.    

Yesterday I painted the banister.  The wood color stuck out like a sore thumb against the new wall color, so it was a great relief to get that finished. 

Here is the before...  

 

...and after.

I love it.  It feels so crisp and clean.  My sister and then my mom kept me company on the phone white I painted into the night.  Three hours and five coats later, it looked good enough.

Last week we got to spend the day with a cute baby.  Her twin sister had surgery and her parents were with her sister.  There is a special spirit babies bring into a home.  We got to feel that sweetness all day.           
 

Sierra Silver Mine Tour

The next day we took a Silver Mining Tour.  We didn't expect much going in because the advertisement was modest(a small sign on the store front) compared to all the in-yor-face kind we are accustomed to, but were surprised at how informative and entertaining it was.  The 90 minute tour was enjoyed by the adults and kids alike, which is a rare and wonderful thing.

You get to ride this open trolly around town and up into the woods where the mine is.    

With jackets and helmets on, we are ready to enter the mine.

Lots of demonstration from a retired miner as we walked through the mine.  The local high school has a mining class and the students get their field education in this mine.  They helped stage the mine for the tour.  

I had no idea how tough the work was.  Dark, hot, humid, dirty, dangerous, and lonely because they each get paid by how far they can dig in a day.  I can't imagine doing it day in and day out.      

The tour ended after a stroll around the town Wallace, where we saw some historic buildings and cute old houses.

Hiawatha Biking Trail

Just as we were loosing hope for a trailer vacation because we have been so consumed with the renovation, Scott decided getting away from it all for a little weekend trip was a must.  We loaded up the bikes and headed to Northern Idaho...

... to Hiawatha Rail-Trail.  Hiawatha Rail-Trail is a scenic section of abandoned rail-bed from the Milwaukee Raod that was turned into a world class non-motorized trail.  It is either a 30 mile round trip with 2000 feet of elevation change, or 17 miles of level and downhill dirt track with a shuttle bus ride to regain your 1000 foot elevation loss.  We chose the latter.

Here we are excited to get on our way.  

There was a 1.7 mile tunnel at the beginning and several shorter tunnels that followed throughout the trail.   The kids enjoyed turning on their LED head lights.   

The view from the many bridges were just fantastic.      

This was Kai's first big bike ride.  He was a champion on his old and rickety Spider man bike that wouldn't cruise.  He pedaled and pedaled, until his legs were exhausted.  He still made it three quarters of the way.   

We had Dixie cups back at the camp ground afterwards.  They tasted extra yummy after the long bike ride.    

We can't wait to come back again.  "But with better bikes, Mom!" the kids say.    

The workers started to put on the siding.  Here is Asha pointing out that the colors of the new and old don't match.      

Today they started tearing down what is now the inner wall.  They got to the studs on the outer side, but left the rest intact until the door comes tomorrow.  I felt a little exposed having workers so close to my kitchen where I spend most of the day.  I'd better get used to it because they are going to be in my kitchen tomorrow.     

We decided on the counter top and back splash last weekend.  It is not any of the ones that we were considering.  It is Pentalquartz and the color we chose is Lattice.  It is the whitest of all the marble-like quartz we have seen, and we like the grey, gold and green veins that give it depth.            

The back splash is a ceramic tile called Absolute.      

 

We celebrated our fifteenth anniversary.  Cecily, Scott's sister, kindly and bravely watched our children while we took a weekend getaway to Seattle.  It was like a dream and I didn't want it to end.  Good thing we have cute children and a big project to come back to.             

Happy Father's Day to Scott.  Jerome and Asha bought him a t-shirt that says, "You say tomato, I say tomato, Doesn't make much sense when you read it."  They also made him breakfast in bed, and gave him some cute home-made cards.  It was well deserved because Scott is the one that taught them by example how to celebrate special occasions.  Our kids are so lucky to have a father that loves them and believes in them.  Scott is very involved in their lives and always makes time to have a conversation with them.          

We visited Scott's father to thank him for the wonderful man that he is, and snapped a three generation picture.     

Aebleskivers

Kai asked if I could bring Cake pops to his class for his birthday.  I had no idea how to make them, so was delighted to see I could just buy this iron on Amazon and pop them out.  Well, when I posted about it on Facebook, my friends told me it was NOT how you make real cake pops.  You are supposed to make a sheet cake, shred it into little bits, mix frosting into it, roll balls, and then dip into chocolate.  Thank goodness they straightened me out because if I was going into trouble to make anything at all, I wanted Kai to be happy about it. 

I had other plans for this cake pops iron, so we went straight to one of them.  Aebleskivers.  We mixed up a batch of our favorite pancake batter.  A large cookie scoop helped keep the process clean.  And it was the easiest thing to do that produced beautiful balls of yumminess.     

 

          

Now we can't wait to try other things.  Home made Takoyaki would be really great.  I wonder if the kids agree.   

Here is the recipe for the pancakes.  It really is the best.

Cooks Illustrated Best Buttermilk Pancakes   

To create a buttermilk pancake recipe with a tangy flavor and fluffy texture, we added sour cream for flavor and cut back on leaveners to keep the pancakes from rising too high and then collapsing. The result was a pancake recipe for light, fluffy pancakes with the trademark buttermilk tang.

Makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes; Serves 4 to 6

The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed. The test kitchen prefers a lower-protein all-purpose flour like Gold Medal or Pillsbury. If you use an all-purpose flour with a higher protein content, like King Arthur, you will need to add an extra tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces) (see note)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 - 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; place in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not overmix. Allow batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking.
2. 2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼ cup measure, portion batter into pan in 4 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes immediately, or transfer to wire rack in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.

Technique

Ensuring Tender Texture

Too much gluten development in pancake batter is the enemy of tender texture. Here’s how to keep it in check.

• KEEP IT LUMPY, THEN LET IT REST
  Mixing encourages gluten to form. For best results, whisk the batter briefly and don’t smooth out the lumps. Then, let the batter rest for 10 minutes—this allows the gluten to relax, yielding more tender pancakes.
  

Baby Quilt for Will

We had a baby shower for Tamsin, Scott's older sister.  She recently became a mother of precious twins, Myra and Will.  They were in the NICU for two months and then at home for another two, so it was nice for many to finally get to meet them. 

Tamsin has been a wonderful sister to all her siblings, including Scott.  She set an example of love and support in the family, which we try to follow.  Our children has been growing up considering her as a second mother and a person they go to when they need extra love.  We are so thankful for her and are excited beyond words for the arrival of her own children.    

Sister Kersten, far left in the picture above, decorated the room in Tamsin's favorite color, green.  Isn't it so cute?  She is such an artist.  She is also a published author.  Check out her Friend article in May Friend, page 4.        
 

I made a quilt for Myra and Will.  Here is Wills.  I used this pattern.  I actually didn't have time to order the pattern as the inspiration didn't come until the last minute.  I looked at the picture and drew up my own pattern.        

Myra's quilt is still in the works.  I will post it as soon as it is finished.

Spring Break in Seattle- Part three

Pentel Granite and Marble was one of the stops Scott and I were really looking forward to going. We know we want something light in color for our counter top, but we had no idea exactly what. We thought walking around and looking at actual slabs may help us get started on narrowing down the options. But when you take your kids along, you get distracted easily because you have too much help. Here are our children's top picks.






And here are ours. Jerome and Asha wonder how we could possibly spend money on something so boring.