This is a guest post from Marcel who loves taking night photos. All pictures are unedited.

Hawthorne Bridge

Portland Night Skyline

A plane was flying by

Night Portrait

The shutter was open long enough to catch the traffic

I did not like reading when I was growing up. No book could hold my attention. However, when I moved to the States, I started reading magazines. Somehow, the combination of text and pictures attracted me. Then I discovered I could read them for free at the library. I went from not reading at all, to magazines, then finally REAL books. The rest, as they say was history.

Today both Marcel and I use the library a lot. From DVD movies and documentaries to all kinds of books and even cultural passes, we use them all. For FREE. If they don’t have the book you are looking for, they can get it from another library NATIONWIDE, for FREE or almost FREE. So far I have been getting them for FREE.

Generally, I have 3-4 titles I am reading. All non-fiction. Fiction books do not appeal to me but I am always trying to learn something new. Here are some that I am reading right now. Do you have any book recommendations along these topics?

Dr. A's Habits of Health

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

The Best of America's Test Kitchen Cookbook 2009

48 Days to the Work You Love

When we adopted Mulder he was about 4 months old, and weighed 25 lbs

Maybe because we live in Portland where 1 out of 5 people have a dog or possibly the desire to add more excitement in our lives. Most likely because we wanted to start a family and getting a dog was a good first step. We had just moved into our house and knew at once that we wanted one. Every weekend, we would spend hours visiting the Oregon Humane Society, the Bonnie Hayes Animal Shelter, and various pet stores where local groups bring dogs for adoption.

One of those trips brought us to PETCO where the All About Dogs Animal Rescue Organization (now called All Terrier Rescue) was setting up when we got there.  First they put all the crates and accessories down. We waited in anticipation. I looked outside to get a first glimpse of the dogs. My heart pounded in excitement when I saw that they were bringing in a bunch of puppies! I thought to myself, ”surely we can take one of those puppies home”.

Learning to be a good doggie boy – 8 months old

There was a litter of yellow labs, a few other mixed puppies, but two Hound dog brothers caught our attention. At only 4 months old they were the biggest, and with those big floppy ears the most handsome. One of the brothers called Yogi was particularly full of life, and with more prominent colorings. Unfortunately he had a #2 accident before we could even say we wanted to walk him. After he was all cleaned up we took him out for a walk anyway. We walked Yogi around the block but he was so excited and kept pulling on the leash so I doubted if this was even a good idea. What’s worse was he went #2 again. As non-dog people we did not know what to do so we just left it there for the rain to wash out. When we turned the corner into the store everybody was remarking how cute he was. A couple of other families wanted to walk him. We paused for a minute outside the store to make a decision. We did not want to put him back in the crate while we thought about it. I gave Yogi a hug and it was at that moment when I knew he was the right dog for us.

Mulder loves hiking at Sauvie’s Island

According to the rescue volunteers Yogi was a hound mix transferred from an animal shelter in Bend, OR. We suspected he had some shepherd in him, maybe even great dane with his long legs but we didn’t know for sure. The vets just say Heinz 57 for unknown mix origin.  It didn’t matter because he was very handsome and had a lean build. They estimated that he will grow up to about 40-50 lbs. About right for us, we thought. We filled out the adoption paperwork, paid the fee, then went shopping for supplies to take home with us.

The first weekend we had him was filled with excitement as well as frustration. As first time dog owners, we did not have a clue on how to take care of a dog. He was having #1 and #2 accidents all over the house so we decided to leash him to the couch for a few days until he learned. He was also whining every night which we later learned was because he thought he was abandoned by the pack. It was also that same weekend that we decided to call him Mulder after the X-Files character. It was Marcel’s idea from his favorite TV series and I was not sure about it but it finally grew on me. 

By the end of the next weekend we were so frustrated we decided to return him to the shelter. I called the organization we got him from, and they said we could drop him off the next Tuesday. I was relieved but at the same time felt guilty. Mulder thought he found a new home, but if we took him back he would have to go through the entire adoption process again. When I think about leaving him while he wonders where we were, it just broke my heart but I felt that taking him back was the right decision at that time. Tuesday came and I decided to come home early so Marcel and I can get ready to take him. We analyzed the situation, looked at Mulder’s sad puppy face, then each other.  It was as if he knew what was going on. We did not have the heart to return him. After a few more discussions we made a life-changing decision. We decided we will do whatever it takes to make Mulder a part of our family – his new pack.

His curious look

That was 2 years ago in January 2008. It took a couple of months of potty training and discipline. Today Mulder is our pride and joy. At 75 lbs. he is a happy, healthy doggie, and we can’t imagine life without him.

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

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.

To keep things simple this year, we combined homemade and store-bought dishes. We roasted a whole turkey, made some mashed potatoes, and candied yams. Everything else was purchased from Whole Foods Market.

Golden Roasted Turkey. Recipe adapted from Whole Foods Market
Wine: 2008 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

Maple-Glazed Yams with Pecan Topping. Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Mulder enjoyed his dinner as well – plain versions of everthing including canned pumpkin, mashed potatoes, and boiled peas/carrots. It is not healthy for dogs to have too much salt, fat, or spices just like the humans, except we still do it anyway