My favorite recipe - 9-24-09

Meet Jill Ross, Colfax

After living on both coasts, Jill and Matt Ross have returned to their roots in the Pacific Northwest.

“We’re not New Yorkers, we’re not Californians,” Jill clarified, although they have lived in both states.

Jill was born in Nooksack where her grandfather had a dairy farm and her dad worked at the farmers cooperative. After graduation she joined the Coast Guard.

“I never regretted being part of the Coast Guard,” Jill said. The Coast Guard provided a way for her to get out into the world after being raised in a small town.

Jill began studies at the Coast Guard Academy in 1989. She and Matt, who was from Oregon, met there. She graduated from the academy with a degree in math and computer science. She and Matt were married that year and they were stationed in California.

The Ross family lived in San Francisco until 1996 then moved to Washington, D.C., where they served for three years before returning to San Francisco. Jill served for seven years, and retired while Matt remained active.

Jill then started to sell Premiere Designs high fashion jewelry.

“I really wanted a great jewelry box,” Jill said. By her third show with Premiere Designs, she was hooked. She liked putting on the jewelry parties for women to look, shop and play with the jewelry.

“Men don’t shop this way. Women like to shop in a group,” she noted.

Matt was stationed at Stanton Island, and Jill continued to sell the jewelry on the East Coast.

They fell in love with this area after visits to her sister, Julie Bishop. After two years in New York they finally moved cross country one more time to Colfax. While living in California they found a place on Prune Orchard Road, bought the property and rented it out until they finally made the move.

“I always wanted to do the hobby farm,” said Matt who is now in the Coast Guard reserves. Along with goats, chickens, pigs and ducks, he raises low-line angus beef.

Although they have been here for just a year, Jill and Matt said it feels as if they have lived here for years. They have four sons, Jackson, 12; Benjamin, 9; Gabriel, 7, and Caleb, 3. The boys are active in sports and 4H. The family attends the Colfax Assembly of God Church.

“We hope to be here forever. I can’t imagine leaving,” Jill said.

This winter Jill, Matt, Julie and Jackson will travel to Ethiopia to pick up a girl they are adopting. The family had long talked about adopting, but never felt like they had the time. After moving to Colfax they have the time, but less income. Last fall Matt was scheduled to be activated which would have given them the income they felt they needed. They started the process and then received the call he would not be activated, but they decided to keep going with the adoption.

“It was kind of the push over the edge we needed,” Jill said.

They looked at several countries through American World Adoptions, but nothing felt right. While on vacation they met a family at a museum who had two young boys they had adopted from Ethiopia. They talked with the family for an hour, Jill recalled.

“Absolutely, the seed was planted there,” she said.

Also, after they moved to Colfax, Jill met Betina Workman through her son’s soccer team. Betina had recently adopted a girl from Ethiopia, and one day Jill talked to her best friend from high school and found out she was also adopting from Ethiopia.

They have since had an Ethiopian family visit their home and have learned about Ethiopian culture and life.

After Jackson told his parents he wanted to go with them to pick up his new sister, they replied he would have to earn the $2,000 for the plane ticket. Jackson started the summer selling produce from his garden and eggs to raise the money.

“It’s been a really good learning experience for him and us,” Jill said. “It’s been so neat to see him grow up.”

The Ross family hopes to receive the referral for their daughter this month and pick her up three to four months after that. All they know is they will adopt a girl, hopefully between the age of zero to two.

Each will be allowed 100 pounds on the flight, and they hope to make the majority of that donations for the orphanage.

“We’re just going to fill up 400 pounds of donation,” Jill said. They are accepting donations of diapers, blankets and supplies. Jill also will have a jewelry fundraiser in November to raise money for the trip.

Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with bread or tortilla chips.

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed

1 lb. shredded cheese

1 can sliced olives

1 can corn

1 can black beans, drained

1 can cheddar cheese soup

2 cans Enchilada sauce

10 flour tortillas

Mix soup and sauce in sauce pan. Heat until hot. In a 9 x 13 pan layer tortillas, 1/2 chicken, 1/2 olives, 1/2 corn, 1/2 black beans, 1/2 cheese and drizzle sauce over layer. Then another layer of tortillas followed by the rest of the olives, corn, beans, 1/3 cheese and drizzle sauce. Top with layer of tortillas. Cover with sauce and rest of cheddar cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until heated through.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

2 cans whole water chestnuts

1 lb. bacon

teriyaki sauce

1 cup brown sugar

toothpicks

Marinate the water chestnuts in the teriyaki sauce overnight. Cut bacon in half. Roll each chestnut in brown sugar, wrap inside a piece of bacon and secure with a tooth pick. Bake on jelly roll pan at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until bacon is crispy.