My favorite recipes

Whitney and Francisco have been in the Palouse for several years and both love it. Whitney was born in Lawrence, Kan., home of the University of Kansas. Her family lived both on her grandfather’s farm and in town. After her parents divorced she moved with her mother to the Seattle area as a seventh grader.

Her mother remarried, and in 1999, her father moved to the Northwest to be closer to his three daughters.

Whitney graduated from Monroe High School and Running Start at Cascadia Community College with her associate’s degree at the same time. In a class of 367 students, she was also a valedictorian in 2005. She lettered all four years in volleyball at Monroe High and was co-captain of the volleyball team her senior year with her sister.

Whitney’s next stop was Washington State University’s Honors College, where she received a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in communications and advertising with a minor in business in 2008. She remained at WSU to complete her master’s degree in business administration in 2009.

Francisco was born in Mexico City and arrived in the United States at the age of six. They first lived in New Plymouth, Idaho, and quickly fell in love with hot showers and soda machines. His dad worked for a landscaper.

A teacher in New Plymouth took interest in the three older children and quickly had them speaking fluent English. They still visit her occasionally.

The next year, the family moved to nearby Payette, where he graduated from high school in 2003. He and his brother Roger played soccer together, co-captaining their team the last half of Roger’s senior season.

Fran also played soccer on select teams and an Olympic Development Player team, where he made the regional team twice. He ran nine to twelve miles daily for conditioning.

Roger paved the way, as their father had high expectations for the children.

Fran attended Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., for a year and a half, playing soccer for two seasons.

He worked with his father in the landscaping business. They installed a sprinkler system in two days for an elderly woman. At the end of the job, they planted a tree in memory of her husband who had passed away a few weeks earlier.

His father still owns the 1980’s Snapper he started with in his own business. He gave Fran a new weed whacker for his wedding gift, and Fran used it to do a little more trimming around the church on his wedding day.

Unsure about his major, he quit college to work at Tamarack Resort at New Meadows, Idaho. Inspired to return to college after 13-hour days shoveling snow while his boss supervised in a warm pickup, he matriculated to Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, aided by the College Assistance Migrant Program scholarship. His best friend and fellow soccer teammate Chris was also a LCSC.

After graduating in 2010, he met Whitney at work at Clearwater Radio Stations. Whitney had worked all the way through college, both for her mother’s company and for WSU dining services in marketing. Fran worked for his father’s landscaping company when he was home.

He asked Whitney Mueller out for lunch, and she told him that she did not date coworkers. He had worked at Clearwater Radio for about a year, and quickly accepted a position at Coeur d’Alene Press, hired by his former economics professor. That meant he could date Whitney.

Whitney bought a house in Colfax in 2010, and Fran and her father helped her finish the painting, caulking and landscaping. The house required more caulking than Fran believed was possible.

Fran and Whitney married June 1, 2013, at St. Patrick's Church in Colfax, and the white reception tents on the grounds made a festive celebration for themselves and their guests.

Fran worked several years for Team Idaho Real Estate in Moscow, while Whitney continued to work for the radio stations. He has recently gone to work for Subway in Colfax, and is training to be the Colfax Subway manager. Working hard to learn the business, he can be found at any of the three Pullman stores or in Colfax with classes added to the mix.

Leaving her job with the radio company, Whitney is doing less and taking care of her health. Diagnosed with a condition that requires a special diet and less stress, she has eliminated all of the driving by working for her mother’s company, Academic Entertainment. Her mother started the company 20 years ago.

Gina Jameson worked for Bureau of Lectures, which provided school assembly programs. Gina thought she could do a better job, so as a single mom with three young children, she started her own company 20 years ago.

An independent agent, Whitney books shows, and does sales, marketing, social medi, and public relations.

In the meantime, her mother has started two new businesses, providing school band instruction and arranging programs for summer camps and summer library activities. Whitney is now developing a media kit for each show. The company is also developing shows to take to adult living groups.

Serving on the Colfax city council has claimed Whitney’s time for the last year, and she said that it takes that long to absorb all that she had to learn, as well as communicate with her constituents. She likes her fellow council members and appreciates what the new administration is trying to do for economic development and promoting tourism.

Both Francisco and Whitney sing in the St. Patrick's folk choir, with Fran also playing guitar. Teaching high school religious education at St. Patrick's with Dale Braunger is a passion, and they just had a Super Bowl treats sale to help fund activities for their group.

Fran has a photography and graphic design business, and he designs publications and websites in his spare time.

Recipes

Francisco's

Spanish Rice

2 fresh, ripe tomatoes

1 cup of white rice

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cube of Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor by Knorr

1 garlic clove

A pinch of All Seasoning salt. (Based on your preference)

First will boil the two tomatoes so that the skin begins to separate. Pull them out of the hot water with tongs and peal them on a cutting board. Place the pealed tomato in a blender. (Do not discard hot water)

Add the diced garlic clove and 1 tomato bouillon cube with chicken flavor by Knorr to the blender with the tomatoes. Add a pinch of All seasoning salt (based on your liking of salt level).

Now add the hot water to the blender, but only measure up to the TWO CUP line and blend together.

Now that you have your well seasoned two cups of fluid ready, brown the 1 cup of rice with butter in a skillet on medium to medium high level of heat.

After rice becomes golden brown, blend the seasonings liquid mix one last time before pouring into hot, browned rice in the pan. Be very careful as this will create a steam effect, but you should be able to smell the flavors of the rice begin to come together. Bring rice to a boil.

You can add vegetables like celery, peas, carrots, and any others after pouring liquid into the browned rice while the pan is on medium to medium high heat. (We like to use celery.)

Now turn to simmer or low heat until almost all of the water has disappeared. Stir occasionally to keep rice cooking evenly, but try to leave it alone as the water disappears from the surface.

Remove rice from heat at desired texture and serve. This is when it tastes the best.

Francisco’s Cauliflower

Rice Jambalaya

We’re obsessed with shredded vegetables, and cauliflower is no exception. Fran is exceptionally skilled with creating delicious dishes on the fly, and this is one concoction we put together. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free. The sweet peppers add a tangy kick, and it takes less then 30 minutes start to finish.

1 head of cauliflower

6-8 mini sweet peppers

1 package of chicken sausage (apple jalapeno is a favorite)

balsamic vinegar

Lawry’s or your favorite seasoning salt

olive oil

Slice chicken sausage and sauté on medium-high heat in a frying pan with high sides and a lid with olive oil and seasoning salt.

Shred cauliflower and sweet peppers, and use the bigger pieces that don’t shred all the way.

Add shredded vegetables to sausage mixture. Season with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Cook for 5 more minutes to combine and warm all ingredients.

Grammy Z's Grandmother's [Gluten-Free] Orange Cookies

These cookies are a transplant from my second family through my step dad, Z. We added our own twist to adapt them to my dietary restrictions.

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening (we used butter-flavored Crisco. Can also make with real butter)

1 egg

1 cup cooked carrots - mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups gluten free all-purpose baking flour (we used Bob's Red Mill. Can use regular flour as well. Add a little more flour if desired.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all ingredients as you would any cookie. First, cream butter, add sugar, vanilla, egg and carrots. Blend. Add dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder. If you prefer, you can add a little more flour then stated.

We like to freeze our dough at least over night and then pull it out and place in the refrigerator to thaw. Place on cookie sheet in 1 Tablespoon drops. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool. Frost with orange butter cream frosting.

Frosting:

3-4 Tablespoons softened butter

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Powdered Sugar

Zest of one orange. Juice of 1/2 to a whole orange.

[Coconut milk or regular milk if desired to consistency]

Cream softened butter, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice. Add powdered sugar to desired consistency. Only add coconut milk if needed. Mix with mixer.

Gaga Bea's Puppy Chow [Gluten-free]

Our family loves to joke around, especially on my dad's side. The first time I tried this recipe, my grandmother brought it over in some unique packaging - a dog food bag! It's really just a simplified version of Chex Muddy Buddies. We usually double it, because this doesn't last long!

One 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (modify for diary-free)

1/4 cup peanut butter (modify for paleo with another nut butter)

6 cups Gluten-Free Rice Chex (you can also use Crispex if you can handle gluten)

1 cup powdered sugar

In large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate on high for 1 minutes. Stir and heat an additional 30 seconds at high or until melted. Stir-in peanut butter. gently stir cereal into chocolate peanut-butter mixture until well coated. Place powdered sugar in 2-gallon storage bag. Add coated cereal to sugar and close bag. Gently toss cereal mixture until well coated. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.