Academic leave

I thought i'd make a little post about what I'm getting up to this February, academically speaking. For the block of February (if you need it, here's a refresher on what the block plan is) i am taking a class through the Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences (ACOS), which means I have to take an Academic Leave from Quest.

There was a lot of stress and drama (Quest doesn't define the rules very well, and that gets confusing for students and faculty) but I finally got my leave approved, my tuition and housing fees credited back to my account, and my class through ACOS approved as a transfer credit. Getting this class approved for a transfer credit is an accomplishment, Quest is very strict about what can be transferred towards your degree.

Now the class i'm taking, it's titled Introduction to Chinese Medicinal Substances.
The learning objectives are as follows:

• Origins of Chinese herbology,
• General botany applied to herbs,
• Habitat, collection, cultivation techniques,
• Processing of herbs,
• Herbal properties: four qi, five tastes, channel tropism, etc.
• Methods of consumption,
• Dosage and toxicity,
• Combining of herbs.

The course is broken down into 15 lessons, with reading, assignments, and a quiz that accompanies each lesson. These lessons are supposed to be done each week, starting in January and ending in April. There are no fixed dates except the end date in April. Each assignment and quiz is graded. 

My plan, or more accurately said, my Quest Mentor Ryan's plan is for me to complete the 15 lessons within one month. I am a little apprehensive; I hoped to get a job, move in with as little hurry and stress as possible, and try and make some new friends/explore the city of Vancouver. But it seems i will only be exploring the local coffee shops with free wifi. Ah well, i am sure the fast pace and rigor of Quest's block system has prepared me for this.

 The herb kit for my class, how cool is this?!

The little mystery plant i had to grow (i've got to make some observations of it in "week 9")

I am excited about the class- i'll keep you posted on progress and maybe snippets of what i'm learning if you are interested!

In retrospect: pear + raspberry crumble

This past fall i made one of the best crumbles, and i happened to document it!
 
I had a bag of pears, quick-oats, and butter (which is pretty much all you need for crumble, one of the many reasons i love it). I always like to use two fruits and i didn't know what else i could use, until i found a bag of frozen raspberries in my freezer. Bingo!

It smelled so good and was gone so fast i didn't have time for a picture.

Here is the recipe I used. I only had brown sugar and i estimated how many pears and raspberries i needed based on their volume in the baking dish. The recipe called for poaching the pears before baking, but i was hungry so i skipped that part and they were soft enough in the crumble for my taste.

Ingredients:
~  4-8 large pears, sliced
~ 1 orange, zested
~ 1.25 cups granualted sugar
~ 1 cup brown sugar
~ 1.5 cups spelt flour
~ 1 pound frozen raspberries
~ dash of salt
~ 1 cup quick-oats
~ 1 cup butter, cold + unsalted, diced

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter a baking dish (i think the one i used was around 6-cup capacity).

2. Place the pears into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Pour into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. I did all this in a metal bowl and with my hands because I don't have a mixer, it worked out fine.

4. Sprinkle evenly on top of the pears and raspberries. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator.

To reheat place in preheated 350F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until warm.

Do you like crumble? Do you have a favourite crumble combination? What is your favourite topping? I'm always on the lookout for new/tasty toppings that contain less flour.

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

watch: on my must see list

When the sun sets at 4:30pm all i want to do is curl up on my big red couch with some tea and watch a movie. Over the past month i've heard about these film but haven't watched them yet. Soon, in our new apartment, i'll make sure i see them.

I saw the trailer for Short Term 12 a while ago and instantly wanted to see it, partly because i enjoy Brie Larson's odd-ball mannerisms and partly because it looked like the subject was a little different than your average indie-love-story. Hunter watched it the other day and loved it, so we are making a date to watch it together.

People have been raving -if that is the right word when it is mixed with horror and sadness- about this documentary for weeks (months?). I know i've got to see it, but i'm waiting for the right evening, one where i don't mind crying and dwelling on humanities lack of, well, humanity.

This documentary looks adorable! I am definitely putting this on my date-night movie list. I enjoy a film that is entertaining and has the possibility to influence my life after i've finished watching it; hopefully this documentary will spark my dormant painting desire!

I am going to semi-regularly post trailers of movies or tv shows i/Hunter want to see or have already seen. I'd love to hear your recommendations for movies and shows to put on my watch list!
What have you seen recently that was worth recommending? Any favourites you always rewatch?

A Signed Lease

Hunter and I signed our first lease together. In Vancouver. For February 1st, 2014!
   
We'd been talking for a while about moving in together again -we lived together with four other people over the summer of 2013 while we worked for Quest- and decided that Vancouver B.C. made the most sense, geographically and socially.    
Finding an apartment in Vancouver was very stressful, the city with one of the worst housing markets in the world. We continuously looked for places and contacted landlords, with very little luck. Finally in late December, we saw an ad on Craigslist for a gorgeous little apartment in a good location. We heard back from the landlords right way and their open house fit perfectly into our schedule.

I was so nervous as we walked up to the house through the drizzling rain, I squeezed Hunter's hand, "we're going to be great" he reassured me. As soon as we walked in L. made us comfortable. She was welcoming and honest and we fell in love with the suite right away. We chatted with L. and E. for a while (L. knew about Quest, and what a Question was because she had heard a podcast a few years back! She asked us about our Questions and seemed really impressed with our studies, who knew my university's reputation would help me win over a landlord). She told us they'd be in touch either way and we left, giddy with hope.    
Almost a week later Hunter got a call, L. was offering us the place! We had viewed a few more apartments in the meantime but they were all tiny and dingy and the landlords seemed distant and impersonal.    
It still hasn't sunk in. Move-in day can't come soon enough!    
Do you remember your first home after your child-hood home and university dorms? What was it like?

Welcome

Hello family and friends!

On this blog I'd like to document my life at Quest University, living in Vancouver, traveling, exploring new things, and generally just living one day at a time with my partner Hunter. I'd like to be as present as possible and grateful for each day and I believe this blog will help me document and remember little and big moments along my journey.

  
Hunter encouraged me to start this project. During a conversation about feeling uninspired he gave me a gentle push to explore my passions and involvement with life through photography, words, and visuals. This blog serves as a sort of outlet for our photographs, recipes, ramblings, and growth.
  
I hope you enjoy reading about our life together.

Somewhere along the Oregon Coast, August 2013

Thank you for checking out our little corner of the internet.
a + h