javafoto.com has seen an increase in traffic this year but I have yet to see some evidence in the comments section. The gardening and food posts are the most popular as well as the festivals. For 2010, I plan to write more about these topics but also want to take the blog to the next level. I surprised myself when I learned to cook a lot of complicated recipes. I even got into baking. I’m not sure yet what this next level looks like but I am looking forward to a bigger and better javafoto.com next year.

Here are my favorite posts in 2009:

KishFish – This is what summer is like in Oregon.

Central Oregon Coast – A guest post from my brother Francis who spent the summer with us. The beauty of the Oregon Coast is breathtaking.

Garden Project Update – July 2009 – Our garden was in full swing and looked so beautiful here.

Speedlight and 50mm Lens – The day I re-discovered my camera equipment and significantly improved my photos.

Mt Angel Oktoberfest – We enjoyed this festival with a group of friends and would likely go again.

Wonton Noodle Soup- A taste of Hong Kong made right in my own kitchen.

If there is a post you liked in particular, please mention it in the comments section. You can use the search function on the left side bar to find a post by keyword. Any other suggestions, recommendations, or constructive criticism are welcome. My goal is to make this site more interesting to my audience and hopefully increase my readership.

I would also like to post a shout out to the following bloggers who inspired javafoto in one way or another:

Paperseed – Emily inspired me to start my own blog.

Smitten Kitchen – Deb showed me that baking is easy and taking good photos is not complicated.

Get Rich Slowly – J.D. believes that anyone can be an entrepreneur and that’s what I want to be.

Art of Non-Conformity – Marcel likes this site but more importantly, I totally respect Chris’ insights about life and work.

Posie Gets Cozy – Alicia shows that life is more beautiful with fabric. Someday, I will take the dust cover off my sewing machine and start crafting.

Steamy Kitchen – Simple but flavorful Asian recipes and beyond by Jaden. My source of the Wonton Noodle Soup recipe.

David Lebovitz – A reminder that life is sweeter with chocolate. David is the author of “The Perfect Scoop” where I learned how to make ice cream.

Cosmic Adventure – Life is an adventure. A great one with Marcel and Mulder.

Green Crop Circles – If we all do our part and be wise in our use of resources, we are essentially building a brighter future for generations to come.

Finally, I believe that information is meant to be shared. Somehow when you share, the blessings come right back to you. Thank you to all the bloggers out there who are giving a part of themselves to make the world a better place. To our families and friends, we appreciate your support.

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38

Cheers and Best Wishes for 2010!

-Charlotte with Marcel and Mulder

Christmas Lights in the Snow

Guess what? I won something again! Last Friday was our company’s Holiday Party. I was hoping for the grand prize – a TV but considering that there were less prizes this year than in previous parties, I’m happy with what I got. The gift card is for $50 at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club. I don’t play golf and neither does Marcel so it is probably going to be used at the restaurant. At last year’s party, I won an iPod. Thank you “company”!

Photo taken from www.reservegolf.com

For our secret Santa gift exchange, I received a wonderful cookbook! Unfortunately, they never tell you who the gift is from. Oh well, this person must know I like cooking. The Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home cookbook is interesting as it is organized by complete meals rather than categories. I can’t wait to get cookin’

Photo taken from Amazon.com

I made jam thumbprint cookies for my co-workers. This recipe by Ina Garten was a hit! I used some blueberry jam I made last summer and mixed nuts instead of coconut.

Pumpkin Roll

A few years ago, we spent Thanksgiving in Florida where most of Marcel’s family lives. At that time, we just came back from an extended trip to Europe and sorely missed the food. However, as soon as Marcel’s mom whipped up this recipe, we forgot all about the pain au chocolats, the dulce de leches, and the gelatos. I was hooked. That same year, we spent Christmas at my family’s home in Dallas where I introduced this recipe. They loved it too! Soon after, my mom and I went into full production. Every Christmas party we were invited to, we took one with us. Everyone wanted the recipe. Just before we left Dallas, we made 3 more rolls to keep in the freezer for future occasions. Since then, this has become one of our favorite holiday desserts.

Pumpkin Roll
A family recipe

Notes:
1. I reduced the sugar in both the cake and filling from 1 cup to 3/4 cup like I always do. I find that it is sweet enough and even brings out the pumpkin flavor more.
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour before consuming. Even better the next day and you can even freeze it if desired.
3. This is not a secret recipe as google will tell you. Feel free to tailor it (carefully) according to your taste.

Cake:
3 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cover an 11″ x 15″ jelly roll pan with wax paper. Trim excess wax paper.

Cake:
Beat eggs, pumpkin puree and sugar together. Mix flour, baking soda and cinnamon in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mix. Beat until smooth.
Pour the mixture on the prepared pan. Spread over the entire pan using a spatula. Sprinke chopped pecans on top. Bake 12-15 minutes or until done.

Once the cake is done, cover it with a clean tea towel then turn upside down. The cake should now be on the tea towel. Carefully remove the wax paper. Roll the cake with the tea towel in it all the way to the end.

Filling:
Beat all ingredients together. Unroll cooled cake, removing the tea towel. Spread filling evenly on the entire cake. Roll the cake carefully into a log.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar just before serving.

Join me at the Crafty Wonderland holiday event on Sunday the 13th in Portland. Buy handmade to promote creativity, sustainability, and support the local economy.

Updated 12/13/2009 17:00

If you can’t make it to the event or do not live in Portland, etsy is a great place to find handmade goods.

The Super Colossal Holiday Sale was amazing! Lots of cool handmade goodies. My friend Sokbun and I got there just before 11 am and the line was all the way to the other side of the convention center. The place was big enough to accommodate a huge crowd so it was not a big deal. Once we got in, we could not get past the first store Maluhia. We wanted to buy everything they had Here are some of the things I got today:

Magnets and zipper tag by Maluhia

Hand-printed dish towel by appetite

Letterpress cards by ilee

Gnome card by esoule

Knitted beanie by Big Woo Wear

Trader Joe's Giant Chocolate Bar

It is 30 degrees F (feels like 20) outside right now which is unseasonably cold for Portland but here I am making ice cream. Perhaps it is the sunny days or maybe the holidays. Ever since I purchased my ice cream maker, I have made several batches of avocado gelato and a few others but avocado is my all-time  favorite. To most people including Marcel, this is a very strange thing to make so he keeps asking when I can make something that he can eat, say chocolate. For some reason, I do not like baked or cooked chocolate. Cookies, brownies, and cakes made with chocolate do not appeal to me. I eat them from time to time but I’d rather eat a chocolate bar, usually with at least 70% cacao, sometimes with almonds or hazelnuts. Good quality hot chocolate warms my heart as well.

This recipe was taken from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. This time, I followed exactly what it said. It took a lot of self-control for me to stick to the formula. Actually, I did make one minor change. He suggested Dutch-processed cocoa but I used my favorite brand Dagoba which is technically not Dutch-processed but this is one of the best out there, in my opinion. They are from Ashland, OR and as you know, I love supporting  my “local” purveyors. For the chocolate bar, I used Trader Joe’s. Not the best but certainly better than most mass-produced chocolate. Valrhona would have been my first choice but I didn’t have any in my pantry. This resulted in a chocolate ice cream worthy of this statement from Marcel – “We can start an ice cream business”. The man knows his chocolate.

You can buy the book from Amazon.com for a reasonable price, borrow it from the library, or even better preview it on google books.

Combining the chocolate mixture with the custard

When freshly churned, it resembles soft-serve ice cream

Frozen ice cream