but wil and i were blessed with some generous gifts this holiday, and where else would we go but to a kitchen store! the more time we spend at home, the more we think about the kitchen doodads that we want and need, as food is just as much a source of entertainment for us as the tv.

with my on call shift at my new job not needed, and with wil’s classes cancelled due to a power outage hitting all of north portland and some of the downtown area, we bundled up to go buy some goodies. we stopped into sur la table…our consensus is that alton brown might not approve. this store is so full of one trick gadgets that the small kitchen has no room to store…gimmicks like brownie pans that looks like a mouse maze so that every piece is an ‘edge’ piece. : P

but it is full of some great quality things, and wil got stuck a couple times in the back corner with fancy balsamics and at the wall of chef knives behind glass. we came away with some good loot…and when i emptied our bag, my selections were fun…wil’s all seemed very necessary. a meat thermometer to replace his broken one, a pepper grinder to replace the one that wil has been tempted to throw out the window once or twice, and a funnel, as we’ve surprisingly enough had multiple instances wishing we had one. (we are on a ‘save old glass bottles/jars’ kick as a side note)

one big purchase was the 1300 page larousse gastronomique. wil enthusiastically exclaimed that this is THE resource to be a serious french chef, and where all of his modern day textbooks lack, this book shines through. he’s learned about this in school…all i could think of was when paul gave a copy of this to julia child and she laughs because it is all in french (in the movie of course!).

i will not be attempting to read this, but it was fun to flip through, as it is a comprehensive encyclopedia of anything culinary. as for me…i did not achieve my goal of reading the baking book by the new year. come on, who was i kidding! the book got opened maybe two or three times over our vacation, each time not longer than about 45 seconds since more often than not i was being summoned by siblings, parents or more likely, nieces and nephews. it has been interesting, but not entirely applicable to me. as a home baker, i can’t quite make anything from it based on the large scale formulas it provides meant for professional equipment. but i do love still reading about everything, and i am keeping at it. i’ve read about breads, pies, cakes, cookies, creams, frostings, pastries…and still have about a quarter to go. but wil, being a good man, still told me to buy something inspired by the book, and so i bought a mini spring form pan and some cool smooth sided ramekins.

we attempted to go to powells to buy a cool wall calender, which is literally across the street from sur la table, but they were out of power! our side of the street was lighted and bustling…and all in the other direction was dark with handwritten signs on their doors. we migrated to whole foods to grab a quick lunch and headed home…a good, short shopping trip…with someone else’s money.

wil put me up to a challenge last night. and i accepted.

we braced the cold last night and walked to wil’s school to grab a notebook he left in his locker (containing some secret formulas for a future project!). at his locker, we saw a handful of books he has yet to bring home. i squealed when i saw a big baking book, and decided to hijack it until he needs it for his patisserie classes.

i may claim to love baking, but i hardly know a thing about the science behind it. i know you have to pack a cup of brown sugar, and you have to keep your flour measurements precise…but beyond that i go blank on what ingredients serve what purpose. when something goes wrong, and i thought i did everything right, i tend to just bum out and leave it at that. (like my last attempt at a chocolate chip loaf cake)

as i sat on the couch later in the evening, with a blanket of course, since it’s freezing!, wil turned around and said this: “i challenge you to read that book cover to cover.”

huh? this is a 700 hundred page textbook.

but then he followed it up with this: “i will buy you any piece of equipment you want, inspired by something in this book, if you can finish it by the new year”

stupidly enough, i accepted.

so i’ve got less than a month, which ends up being about 30 pages a day of reading dry, classroom based text. if all i gain is just a better understanding of this hobby and a little inspiration, then i’ll be happy.  i already know this book is geared for the professional kitchen, but i know i’ll probably pick up some basic techniques and procedures that carry through lots of favorite treats. let’s see if i can do it!

also, we received some supplies that we ordered for christmas gifts…here’s a little teaser. unfortunately, since the majority of our readers are our moms and siblings, (shout out to you!) we might not be able to post about it completely, at least until after the holidays.

when we were stumped with what to do with the space left of the tv (had computer, video game stuff and movies in a pile), wil had the grand idea of buying a second bookcase and completing the wall as a whole entertainment unit. it could not have worked out better, and i am surprised we didn’t think to fill up this wall like this in the beginning. and oddly enough, it makes the room feel bigger.

i was excited to go back to ikea for a third time in one month (yay for craigslist income!) and we were in and out so efficiently…unlike any ikea run i’ve been on. and with wil getting everything set up and reconnected in less than an hour, we got our ‘life’ on track. our tv, computer, printer, important files, my camera stuff, and our million books (with space for wil’s 19 more from school!).

well, i say life on track, but that’s not talking about our whole lives…do i have a job yet? no, don’t ask.

It really surprised me how much her philosophy ‘objectivism’ appealed to my ‘inner man.’  The book was an interesting plot about the decline of the industrial age not because of natural courses, or the end of the world or anything like that, but because all the great minds of the world knew the immense value of themselves and what they were able to create and they weren’t going to let the scum of the earth take advantage of them any more.

Ayn Rand has an amazing ability to describe her characters.  I could really see them in my mind, but further than that, she was amazing at conveying thoughts and emotions simply though describing the look on someone’s face.  It was captivating.

There was one theme that I found most convicting.  The theme was about having the freedom to have values and work infinitely to bring those values to the center of my life.  I have the ability to do, create, work and think and my energy in all of these areas should be exaggerating the things I value in my life.  So I really started thinking about what I value as a man, a believer, a husband, an employee, etc.

There is so much content in this book, I feel like I need to read it all over again (I hope I do someday.)  I think Kris got a little weirded out here and there – every once in a while, I would have to stop where I was at and just sit and digest the things I just read.  It was hard to grasp everything all at once and this really helped me re-live it and take it in.

Well, I HIGHLY recommend the book.  It’s a long read, but very interesting and can really put a dent into your current social attitude.  If you’ve read it and want to talk about it, I would love to.  …especially those of you who are into LOST. 

Special thanks to Cassie for recommending this book!  Next on my list is ‘The Tempest’ – by William Shakespeare (thanks Claire) and ‘Prayer’ – by Philip Yancey (thanks Jessica)

*happenings really meaning non-happenings. he is truly enjoying the ‘solitude’ in the woods right now. i’m doing ok… solitude in your normal surroundings of an empty house isn’t quite the same as on a peaceful lake, but i am calling out to friends when i get lonesome, and keeping myself busy trying to get things packed and accomplished around the house.

but anyways, here’s all his pictures he’s shared so far from his phone! (this doesn’t show much of the actual institute…just mostly around our cabin and such)

this field is right next to the cabin, and i think the dogs love getting to run free around in it.

wil says this lake is about 50 paces from the student center (what he will manage once students arrive)

our cabin! looks kind of like a trailer home to me… : ) but wil says he likes it.

the dogs haven’t ventured into the lake yet, but this i think was on the first day, with our friend jason. gracie is clearly not settled in this image (it doesn’t help that maybe ava’s leash is all tangled on her legs!)…but i think they are getting used to their new setting.

and this is what wil is doing right now…i can’t wait to read this book when i get there too!

and….happy 25th anniversary mom and dad!

• Prayer, by Philip Yancey.  Recommended by Jessica
• Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claiborne.  Recommended by Melissa and Jessica
• Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem.  Recommended by Robbie
• Crazy Love, by Francis Chan.  Recommended by Robbie
• Humility, by CJ Mahaney.  Recommended by Robbie
• Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.  Recommended by Juliette
• Once and Future King, by T.H. White.  Recommended by Claire
• The Tempest, by William Shakespeare.  Recommended by Claire
• Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell.  Recommended by Seth
• The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene.  Recommended by Dominique
• The Birth Order, by Kevin Leman.  Recommended by Marse
• Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.  Recommended by Cassie

I’m pretty excited for all of these, which is why I chose them.  But I think I’m most excited about Atlas Shrugged, The Tempest, Crazy Love, Humility, and Prayer.  Feel free to read along and tell me what you think!