Portland Peeps

paper, glitter and tinsel creations

2012-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

I’m in love with these Victorian folk art decorations. They make me smile.

After receiving this Winter Wishes angel as a gift from my husband’s aunt Annie several years ago, I’ve sought out this style.

This hanging decoration is by Nicol Sayre

I picked up these Peace stars at a small gift shop in the neighborhood on sale after the holidays a few years ago. I’m taking a guess that these are by Nicol Sayre as well. The tag says Midwest, and according to online sources, she licensed her creations through Midwest from 2002-2008.

They remind me of Christmas from my childhood at my Grandparents house, where a silver aluminum tree was always on display.

This friendly witch is from a shop in Nye Beach, Oregon

Also by Nicol Syre

This wintery angel spoke to me from a small garden shop in Multnomah Village last December. A Dee Foust creation.

Dee creates a line of licensed collectibles for Bethany Lowe Designs. This angel is one those creations.

Notice how her eyes follow you? Bwaaahaaahaa

phone photo fun

2012-01-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken on a recent rainy morning using the basic iPhone camera. I opened the image in Photoshop Express to create the blurred effect. I opened the image again in Instagram and shared it there and on Facebook.

Note: Our darling little hen, Nelly, would like you to know that the housekeeper cleaned her messy house since this photo was taken, so please don’t judge.

The iPhone came into my life five years ago, and it’s totally rocked my world ever since. It changed the way I work. It changed the way I think. It changed the way I live. Seriously!

There are several iPhone apps that also add joy to my life. Hipstamatic, Instagram, PSExpress, TurboCollage, and CameraBag are just a few I use regularly.

Do you Instagram? It’s one of my new favorite ways to share snapshots with friends. If you don’t know Instagram, let me introduce you. Instagram is a photo program with a social network all to itself. It has a few fun filters you can use on photos shot in Instagram, but you can also shoot photos with Hipstamatic, CameraBag, or with the straight iPhone camera and then tweak them in another photo program and share them through Instagram.

Since I already carry my iPhone wherever I go, now with all the cool photo programs, it’s become a perfect way to quickly feed my creative habit.

I can’t remember exactly which apps I combined to get these images, but I like the colors in each.
The best thing to do is just experiment to see what effects you can achieve.

Recently I searched the App Store for a way to keep organized, and found Wunderlist.

If, like me, you have 5,000 details in your life on any given day, and often forget what it is you need to accomplish, Wunderlist is for you. Wunderlist is a great task manager without being an annoying task master. It’s waaay better than a bunch of sticky notes, yellow pads, or my memory. And it’s free. I can create little to-do lists and set it to gently remind me via email each morning of the things on the list. It also tells me what I failed to get done the day before.

Yikes! I had no idea my phone was so dirty until I shot these!
I’d better add that task to my list.

Now that the week is winding down, many things have come off the list. As you can see, I’ve completed most tasks for today, and have no overdue items. Yeah!

dance photo shoot

2012-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Thought I’d share a few of my favorite images from the dance performance I photographed a couple weeks ago.

I’ve photographed this dance group for several years now, and it’s so much fun to see so many kids blossoming into great dancers... including my own daughter. All the hours of classes, practice, practice, practice are beginning to really show, and it’s so great to see her shine!...

...and sparkle.

She’s still dancing after everyone else has gone home.

Such devotion!

mmmmmm... honey...

2012-01-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about my job... samples. This week I’m designing a honey label. Yum!

As some of you know, in my day job I’m a graphic designer.

“What exactly do I do?”

I’m a print designer. I design logos, catalogs, annual reports, brochures, corporate newsletters and such. But that doesn’t mean I don’t design for the web on occasion too, although I’m not a web designer. Confused yet?

I have a degree in art and science. I think they go together, don’t you? I learned how to design before computers existed, on paper. Specifically, art boards with tech pens that needed professional cleaning once a week. Creating artwork with tech pens, t-squares, circle templates, and flexible rulers gives you a great understanding and sense of the craftsmanship of design. I prided myself on inking perfect corners. Graphic designing in the 80's required a steady hand, lots of patience, and nerves of steel.

Before computers rocked my world, I designed entire publications on mechanical boards creating overlays for each color. The layers were attached to the boards and sheets of film using hot wax. On hot summer days, I would drive mechanicals to the printer and hear objects pop off the page when the wax melted in the heat.

Jeez, I’m sounding so old! ... and I had to walk five miles to school in the snow, uphill!

Today the tools I use are built into my Mac with programs that help streamline the process of getting my work into printed form. Even though the production process of design has drastically changed, the design process itself, not so much.

This week, I am designing a label for a small honey business. One of the perks is the fact that the client sent me several jars of their delicious homemade honey.

This is where I currently am with the label design. I’m not quite at the showing the client stage yet.

Feel free to provide feedback.

buh bye 2011

2012-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

A few memorable moments ~

Traveled to the south (Georgia) to visit friends

Took a family vacation to Camp Sherman on the Metolius River

Isabel’s room redo

The jacket project

Cuddled newborn baby lambs

Sold my Dad’s 1936 Packard (heartbreaking)

Enjoyed Isabel’s winter dance performance

Finished knitting a long awaited hat

Baked. Baked. Cooked. Cooked. Cooked.

how i spent my Christmas vacation

2011-12-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

I made eight... count them... eight varieties of cookies in the last few weeks... that’s over 400 cookies.

I didn’t have a chance to photograph the spritz, chocolate, shortbread and gingersnaps before they disappeared.

The day after Christmas, I had an epiphany.

As much as I enjoy sharing homemade gifts with my family and friends, I spent way too much time in the kitchen in the last few weeks, and not enough time enjoying some time off. I was busy with work in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so after a day of working, I made dinner for my family, drove my daughter to and from her dance class, prodded her to make sure all her homework was done, and then baked cookies all night. At a time of year when we all eat too much sugar, gifts of sweets seemed less than appreciated by many.

I’m disenchanted with the whole Christmas gift exchange hoopla. Can’t we just enjoy the season without going broke, and more time enjoying and less time doing? There are so many holiday events I miss every year because I’m too busy putting together gifts, food, wrapping, cleaning, etc.

Tell me... how do you do it all? What parts of Christmas do you truly enjoy?

mini paper bag scrapbooks

2011-12-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

Do you have young kids? Grandparents? Looking for handmade gift ideas? Read on...

I have never been a scrapbooker. Photos from the first five years of my daughter’s life were placed into several of those ready-made photo albums. I also have another nine years of photos stashed away in boxes and many digital back-up devices filled with images. I even have one of those great PictureMate personal photo printers that spits out great 4x6 prints perfect for scrapbooking.

When my daughter was younger, I was always looking for gifts she could give to her grandparents, and this idea jumped out at me. It was a perfect project for us to create together.

They were a huge hit! There were even tears of joy from the recipients.

Supplies you’ll need:

(If you have a Michael’s craft store in your area, you can find most of the items there)

• Several smallish colored paper bags (10"x 5.5")

• Several sheets of felt

• Photos

• Sheets of fun patterned paper

• Scrapbook type embellishments

• Ribbons

• Scissors

• Glue

Directions: Grab four paper bags in various colors (or all the same color if you prefer) and cut the open ends using some fancy shaping scissors.

Fold the bags in half and line up at folds. Glue each open end to a closed end. Glue a long piece of ribbon (about twice as long as the bags or approximately 21") to the entire length of the outside and cover both sides with a sheet of felt. Cut the edges so they overhang slightly to cover the edged of the bags.

Now for the best part. Create scrapbook pages using photos that capture great memories you and your kids have shared with the recipient of this awesome gift.

We share beach traditions with both Grandmothers. Each Mother’s Day, Isabel and I spend a long weekend with my Mom at the Oregon coast. Each Thanksgiving our family spends a weekend with my Mother-in-law and my husband’s extended family at the beach. Needless to say, both of the books we created were beach themed.

I like to cut out images and paste them over a background. I just like the look it creates.

Make sure you fill the pockets of the bags with fun photos or notes too. We added little felt and paper shapes to the edges of the photos so they could slide in the out of the pockets easily.

Have fun!

putting the merry in Christmas

2011-12-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

Every year the stress arrives, and every year I retaliate in hopes of keeping my sanity. My husband claims that Christmas has become a women’s holiday. There’s more truth in this statement than I’d like to admit. More often than not it seems to be women who carry out the holiday tasks. We arrange gatherings with family and friends, decorate, bake, shop, exhaust ourselves all in hopes of creating the “perfect” holiday.

One of my husband’s holiday tasks is cutting down the Christmas tree for our living room. We pile into the SUV armed with a saw and a thermos full of hot chocolate.

I say this every year... I really need to step back and look at what’s most important. In doing this, I came up with a short list.

Quality over quantity. Less is more. Spending time with family and making memories is more important than spending money on gifts.

Stick with a few simple traditions you’ve already established. Don’t try to create new ones. This can lead to more and more obligations that you won’t be able to keep up with. Don’t give up the traditions you enjoy to make room for other people’s traditions.

Make lists. This could keep you from losing more sleep at night with extra details running through your head, which in turn will make you even more sleep deprived and irritable.

Shop online. If you do need to buy gifts, avoid crowded malls. Make shopping a more pleasant experience. Shop online in your p.j.’s with a cup of hot cocoa.

Don’t go into debt. Pay only cash for any gifts you buy. If you don’t have the cash to buy, don’t buy. There’s nothing worse than having bills arrive in January to start the new year off wrong.

Expectations. If you have them, lower them. Don’t expect that everyone at family gatherings will get along or chip in and help, or even show up for that matter.

Humor. Keep it intact!

Christmas is stressful, but for the most part, it’s self-imposed stress.

Here’s a little holiday humor... (an excerpt from an old Home Improvement episode)

Brad: (Brad wants to go skiing on Christmas Eve) But Mom, it’s perfect. I mean, I don’t have school and I can take your presents with me and open them there.

Jill: The family is always together on Christmas. We hang our stockings together. We talk to relatives on the phone. You have your new saxophone so you can play along while we sing carols and I’m going to make Nana’s special oyster pecan stuffing.

Brad: All I wanted to do was be with my friends. A lot of people I like are going to be down there.

Tim: Christmas is not about being with people you like. It’s about being with your family.

Ouch!

Merry Christmas!

mini tin purses

2011-12-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

When my daughter was about nine or ten she loved Altoid mints. This idea for purses made from the tins were a perfect project for her. She found instructions for these tiny tin purses in her American Girl Magazine and was smitten with them.

These take me back to the days when my daughter had a short(er) attention span. Back to a time before a good book, an iPod, YouTube, or GoogleMaps, kept her engaged. Crafts that could be created in an hour or two, at the most, were ideal. We created these on a quiet vacation many summers ago.

To create your own little tin purses, you will need: Altoid mint tins, ribbon, felt, fabrics, pom poms, buttons, small flat round magnets, hot glue and a glue gun

Cut pieces of felt to fit both sides of the tin. Working with the tin open, and making sure you don’t cover hinges, first glue the ribbon you’d like to use as a fastener, then glue the felt on one side only into place over that. You can add a magnet and a button to the ribbon so that it looks like an important fastener on the front of the purse. Add ribbon around the edges. To make a handle, cut a ribbon several inches longer than the tin is around and glue it to three sides of the tin leaving the extra ribbon at the top. Embellish with whatever floats your boat... pom poms, fabrics, buttons, etc.

I’m sure you can be much more creative and precise than we were, especially if you have kids with longer attention spans.

These would make great gifts. It could be a sewing kit (fill it with thread, needles, safety pins, scissors). Or a survival kit (fill it with waterproof matches, a little flashlight, fishing line, water purification tablets). You could put an iPod in it. Turn the inside into a mini scrapbook. The ideas are endless.

Be creative. Have fun!

live in the moment... breathe

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

YIKES! IT’S DECEMBER!!!

This season is really what we choose to make it isn’t it? If you like crowds and franticness, it’s just outside the door. If you’d rather avoid the chaos, you can shop online and wait for things to come to you.

If you’re looking for gift ideas for your wife, girlfriend, mistress, mother, daughter, here are a few...

iPad case in one of my favorite colors. Available at Ceccec $189

Perfect iPad holder for use in the kitchen with a little stylus so you don’t have to touch the screen with your goopy fingers.
Available at Belkin $39.99

If you’ve never felt or worn liquid metal, you must. I have this bracelet, and it’s so comfortable and gorgeous. I get compliments on it every time I wear it. Sergio Gutierrez has several designs of liquid metal bracelets.
Available at G Squared Gallery $65 and up depending on size and width.
Sergio also designs necklaces.

Michael Kors 'Bedford' $348 Available at Nordstrom

If you like hanging out at home, creating things, and not spend spend spending, there are plenty of ideas for homemade gifts. Things made while sharing quality time with friends and family can be the best.

During the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the homemade gifts I’ve made in the past, and some holiday treat ideas too. But, you’ll have to wait until after Christmas to see what gifts we’re making this year.

I do have some specific goals for this holiday season: 1. Live in the moment; 2. Stay sane

No pressure, but what do you have planned?

tart and more tart

2011-11-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving filled with good food and family and/or friends. Dinner for us on Thursday was hosted by my brother and sister-in-law, so the only thing I had to do was make dessert. I decided to keep it light and simple with a French apple tart. I realized as I prepared to lay down the apple slices in a circle, that I had no idea how to do this. Do I start in the center and work my way out, or start at the edges and work my way in? I learned three things: 1. I need to create a step-by-step on this simple task; 2. It’s not as fussy as it looks; 3. When you put apples, cinnamon and sugar together and bake them, your house smells wonderful all morning.

Sometimes it’s good to mix things up, break from the traditional pumpkin pie. This seemed perfectly light, almost healthy after a heavy meal.

I placed the apple slices along the edge of the crust and worked my way toward the center, overlapping as I went. Then went back and filled in any spaces.

Michael returned from three weeks in Africa. I welcomed him home with a dinner of chicken enchiladas and this super easy, slightly tart, moderately sweet, lemon tart...

Attention lemon lovers: you can include two full lemons.

I stopped at one and a half, and it was plenty lemony for me.

Lemon Tart
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Susan Branch

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter a 9x14” tart pan (or you can cut the recipe in half and use an 8” square).

Crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 pinches of salt

Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix until soft and smooth. Please evenly into the tart pan and bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the topping.

Topping:
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
4 eggs
Juice and zest of 1−2 lemons
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
powdered sugar for dusting the top

In a kitchen mixer, beat eggs well. Gradually add sugar and mix until mixture is thick. Add all other ingredients (except the powdered sugar). Beat. Pour this mixture over the baked crust and return it to the oven. Reduce heat to 325°F. Bake 30-35 minutes until it turns golden. Cool and remove from tart pan. Sift powdered sugar over the entire tart. Cut into squares.

what I’m thankful for... part 4

2011-11-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yoga

“When I am anxious, it is because I am living in the future.
When I am depressed, it is because I am living in the past.
When I am peaceful, it is because I am living in the present.”

Yoga is about living in the present... occupying your body, stretching beyond what you thought were your limits, and erasing all stress for a short period of time. Yoga has the ability to ward off injuries from other more strenuous workouts, and give you the strength necessary to push your body even further.

I have not always believed this. For years I was a yoga skeptic. I went to a chiropractor, my GP, a psychologist, a massage therapist. Every one of them (with the exception of my GP, who gave me a prescription for anti-anxiety meds) recommended yoga to me as a way to strengthen the muscles that hold up my head and reduce the anxiety I was experiencing. I was running four days a week and lifting weights every other day. My neck and shoulders hurt more and more with each workout. Some days my neck hurt so badly that the pain made me sick to my stomach and dizzy. I was convinced that I must have some major nerve issue going on. The more it hurt, the more tense I became, which in turn created tighter muscles and more anxiety.

In hopes of breaking the vicious cycle, I heeded the advice of many and joined a yoga class. People were standing in the tree pose for several minutes. Just standing there on one leg! “You are a strong tree, gently swaying in the wind,” the instructor spoke quietly. I carefully placed my right leg onto my left. My right foot slipped right off my left leg and landed back on the floor. I was not just swaying, I was a fallen tree.

It all began to change the day I met an amazing instructor, Jim Gillen. Jim has an approach to yoga that I had never experienced before. He jokes during class, his voice and manner calm me. He corrects poses. After several months of classes with him, I realized that with his corrections, and a steady, focused gaze, I too was becoming a stable tree. I swayed slightly, but didn’t topple over.

I have been doing yoga regularly for the last year. I love it, crave it, it’s limbering me up and strengthening my body more than any other exercise ever has. Muscles made sore from running and weight lifting are stretched and soothed in yoga. My core strength, balance and anxiety have improved immensely.

According to a study done by The Wall Street Journal, yoga does not have mental effects. I am convinced that their study was not conducted for long enough to reveal those mental benefits. If something healthy can reduce my anxiety levels, I’m sticking with it.

Being fit is not a destination, it’s a way of life.

This is my new favorite pose.

and then there’s the cute clothes factor...

No more baggy Guatemalan prints from the 70’s are seen in yoga classes today. Yoga clothes have become so cute you’ll wanna wear them all the time. Since discovering Lucy (we have several stores nearby), I could be perfectly content living in workout wear. The compression of their pants gives the feeling of weightlessness. When I put their clothes on, I feel as fit as an olympic athlete. Throw on one of their awesome jackets, and voilá! They had a sale last Saturday, a birthday celebration with 25% everything in the store. I stocked up on a few necessities.

Namasté.

what I’m thankful for... part 3

2011-11-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

My husband

While my daughter and I are here with all the comforts of home, hubby is in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe at the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and Matobo Hills National Park. He’s working with one of the Oregon Zoo’s curators on a biodiversity and leopard study of Matobo Hills. He’s reported that working conditions are not ideal. Daytime temperatures sore into the 100’s, and dip into the 90’s at night. While staying at the orphanage, he’s not able to open the windows in his room... well, he can, but he’ll have to share his space and belongings with monkeys and cute lil’ lion cubs.

Michael living one of his boyhood fantasies... driving a Land Rover through Africa looking for photo opportunities.

Most of his time is spent out in the back country of the Matobo Hills. I guess they’re camping while in the park, but to tell you the truth, I don’t want to hear the details of that until he returns.

In case you don’t know what my husband does for a living... he’s a hotshot natural history photographer. His devotion to his work, and the extent he goes to achieve outstanding results, continue to amaze me every day. His work is so specialized that he is forced to develop and create equipment to suit his needs. With the tight airline security in force, you can imagine the delays he encounters when traveling internationally. During security checks, he’s questioned, sometimes interrogated and delayed while he explains mysterious photo equipment to personnel. With language barriers, the stress level is high. When I traveled to Ecuador and The Galapagos with him last year, I witnessed a bit of that stress first hand.

While he’s traveling in Africa, we’ve had a few conversations using FaceTime on our smart iPhones and iPads, but because power and internet is inconsistent, we have to go for days or weeks without communication. He tells me that being out of contact with us is his greatest source of anxiety.

I look forward to the day when I’m able to travel with him more frequently.

These are some of the orphaned lions living in the care of the Chipengali orphanage.

Chipengali means “open friendly country.”

I just received more information about this larger lion cub:

“The larger lion cub is 18 months old. This is a bit old (and large) to be roaming with people, but she was so malnourished when she was young that she needed constant care and love and had to fight to live. She is playful but remarkably gentle. Still it is a bit frightening to see her rush over to play since she can knock a person over. She is good with the dogs and small animals. We eat outside and this lion will not try to take food or steal food from the dogs. It’s just weird to have such a large alpha predator with such a mellow disposition.”

I love you sweetie! Stay safe!

what I’m thankful for... part 2

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Friends and fresh food

All this was in this week’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) gift. It includes: comice pears, liberty apples, chanterelle mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, leeks, spinach, celeriac, delicata squash, purple carrots, kale, onions, fennel, eggs, cheese and a loaf of bread. A lot of farm fresh deliciousness in this box!

I love it when friends aren’t able to use their CSA box and they gift it to me! Thank you Chris!!

A big part of the excitement in having all these fresh ingredients in my kitchen is figuring out what to cook... and photographing it, of course.

Chanterelle mushroom. Mushroom risotto?

Purple carrots. Will be great in squash soup. Along with delicata squash, apples and onions.

Do you know what this is?...

If you answered celeriac (aka celery root), you’re correct! There are several recipes online that use celeriac including: celeriac soup; mashed potatoes with celeriac; slaws, and remoulade. Good to know that it’ll keep, wrapped loosely in the produce drawer of the fridge for up to two weeks.

Comice pears. Not sure what I’ll do with these yet. Maybe just bite into them. Or bake them into individual tarts and serve them warm with ice cream. They are beautiful aren’t they?

It looks like I’ll be occupying my kitchen for a while.

Happy Sunday!

what I’m thankful for... part 1

2011-11-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

My daughter

While my husband is off in Zimbabwe for the month of November photographing leopards, bats, and other creatures that go bump in the night, my daughter and I are home doing girly things (along with going to school, dance, work and household chores... but let’s forget that part for now). We are really enjoying our mommy/daughter time together.

Last weekend Isabel set up a spa in our living room. She made us warm foot baths with oils, lavender, sea salts and/or oatmeal. While we soaked our feet, we watched reruns on Hulu+ like Rhoda, Mary Tyler Moore, Cake Boss. Then she lathered on lotion and gave me a relaxing foot massage.

She also provides facials created with natural ingredients such as egg, coconut milk, lemon juice, oatmeal, yogurt. Taking into consideration the dryness or oiliness of our skin, she carefully prepares a personalized formula. Often a shoulder massage is involved. We trade off being the masseuse. She calls this a massage train. We feast on seafood and eat ice cream. That’s it! She is forbidden to grow up and leave!

French Apple Tart

2011-11-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Gravenstein apples had been chillin’ out in our spare refrigerator for several weeks before I finally found time to bake something with them. An apple pie seemed like too much dessert during these days while my husband is doing a slow-carb diet. That means that every day of the week but one, he avoids sweets and carbs. Saturdays are his designated “eat whatever I damn well please” day. So unless I want to make a total pig out of myself, I bake on Saturdays. Then I have the rest of the week to enjoy the leftovers.

This French apple tart recipe was exactly the type of dessert deserving of the slightly tart, crisp apples I’d scored on a recent local farm excursion. Simple. Light. Not too sweet. Goes down easy after a large meal and even better mid morning with hot coffee.

Working with dough is very satisfying!

I just learned about glazes. They can magically make pastry look professional.

French Apple Tart
(a slightly modified version of Ina Garten’s recipe)
Serves 6

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds. Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times, until the butter is in small pits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water into the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to hold together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. At this point you can either: grab a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper or a Silpat mat; or, as I did, a rectangular (10x15) tart pan with a removable bottom. I think this gave the tart a fancier, company worthy presentation.

Roll the dough out slightly larger than 10x14 inches. If you’re using a sheet pan, you’ll want to use a ruler and knife and trim the edges. Place the dough on/in the pan of your choice and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Apple filling

4 apples (you can use Granny Smith, Gravenstein, or any other semi-tart apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, diced small

Peel the apples the cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices. At this point, apple slice placement depends on the pan you’re using. I created three rows of apples, but you could place them diagonally, or spiral them if you want to make it real purty. Sprinkle the apples with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and dot with 4 Tablespoons of butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown.

Glaze

1/4 cup apricot jelly or jam
2 Tablespoons apple brandy, rum or water

Heat the jelly or jam along with the liquid. If you used jam, you’ll need to sieve it through cheesecloth. Brush apples and pastry completely with the mixture.

Allow to cool and serve warm with a little whipped cream or ice cream.

procrastinating...

2011-10-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Remember my knitting frenzy a few years ago? If not, you can read about it here. And here. Hats, specifically, were planted on the heads of friends and family members, whether they wanted them there or not. My mother-in-law requested a hat. Great! I'd love to knit one for you! I chose this beautiful green wool yarn. She chose the style. Knit. Knit. Knit. Stop. An entire year passes. Knit. Knit. Stop. Another entire year passes. The unfinished hat is still on circular needles.

Today I finally took it off the needles to check for size. It looks a bit large, but we’ll see...

Do you have any projects that you’ve been putting off? Why are you procrastinating?

Portland composts! and fruit flies!!

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you live in the city of Portland, you are well aware of the new “curbside-composting pilot program,” which will soon expand to all single-family homes. If you don’t live in the beautiful city of roses, stick with me anyway, this composting is just a segue into the meat of this post.

Beginning October 31, we will toss all unwanted foods, i.e. coffee grounds, bones, rotten veggies, meat, and even old pizza boxes, into the green carts we now use for yard waste. The city is providing us with these little kitchen pails to collect scraps in the kitchen that then will be emptied into the yard debris cart.

I picked up this compost pail that is aesthetically more appealing. It can be found at Williams-Sonoma for $29.95. For something I have to look at every day sitting on the kitchen counter, I find it much more pleasing, but that’s just how I roll.

In preparation for this new program, here at chez Portland Peeps we started a little early. We were already pretty good at doing our own composting by giving any leftover veggies to our chickens, so this really isn’t that much of a stretch. I’m all for composting and think everyone should do it anyway. I know the city is trying to cut costs, so I wish them luck with that.

Now we have these...

In case you don’t recognize them, these are fruit flies. Drosophila suzukii. My talented husband photographed them. It’s hard to believe they have all this going on, when in reality they’re the tiniest things with wings ever. He makes them look like something from Empire of the Ants. Huge creatures I would never be able to smack between my hands to kill.

So does anyone know how in the world to get rid of these little pests?

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

Bleach - poured 1/4 cup down the drains for several days in a row. I heard they breed in there.

Fruit - put all fruit into the refrigerator and closed the door tight. They breed in there too. Duh! Why else would they be called fruit flies?

Cleaned - washed all counter surfaces with a mixture of bleach and water.

Still the buggers are flying around my kitchen! Excuse the pun, but they are really bugging me!

Any and all ideas for eliminating them will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

dark chocolate almond butter

2011-10-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

“Robin eats chocolate sandwiches,” my daughter announced after a day in 3rd grade.

“That poor girl!” I thought. Most likely she’s left to make her own lunches and this is what she chooses? A chocolate sandwich? Can you imagine? Is it on white bread?

Fast forward to a recent shopping trip. My daughter spotted the chocolate in a jar, or Nutella. It occurred to me that this was most likely what had been slathered on Robin’s sandwiches. Somehow a jar made its way into my basket. I caved. Isabel is hooked. Her breakfast of choice is now a bagel topped with Nutella.

After reading the list of ingredients, I channeled Jamie Oliver, and thought, “I can make this healthier.”

Nutella’s ingredients: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor.

Searching through the internet, I found several recipes similar to Nutella, commonly using hazelnuts and chocolate. I decided to combine some of the ingredients and create my own. This was partially determined by what I already had in my kitchen.

Measure about two cups of almonds or hazelnuts and put them in a single layer onto a cookie sheet.

Roast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn. Place them into your food processor.

Add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to the warm nuts.

Grind, grind and grind some more. The mixture will take on the consistency of peanut butter. When it looks like this, keep grinding a bit longer.

Break up a 4 oz. chocolate bar into a microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 1 minute.

When you take it out of the microwave, it will look like this...

Give it a stir, and put it back in for another 30 seconds if necessary. Stir. If you don’t have any unmelted chunks... Voila! You have perfectly tempered chocolate.

Add the melted chocolate, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the almond mixture and blend well.

Pour it into jars and place in the refrigerator to firm it up.

The butter will spread easier if you bring it to room temperature before serving.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients

2 cups raw almonds or hazelnuts
4 ounces dark (or milk) chocolate
1 teaspoon coconut oil (this can be found near the olive oils at many grocery stores)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon course sea salt (fleur de sel)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Directions

Roast the raw nuts by placing them on a cookie sheet and baking them in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep them from burning.

Place the warm nuts and the coconut oil into a food processor and grind them until they’re as fine as possible. Then grind them some more. When you will see the texture change from crumbly to buttery (after about 5 minutes) you’re almost there.

Place the chocolate bar into a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 1 minute. It won’t look melted when you take it out, but stir it and watch the magic. Put it back in for another 30 seconds until it’s smooth. Add the melted chocolate, sea salt and vanilla to the nut mixture and blend until smooth. There will be small pieces of the nuts visible.

Pour into small glass jars. The consistency will be fairly thin at this point, but after a few hours in the refrigerator it will thicken. Bring it back to room temperature for perfect speadability.

Enjoy!

lunch in Hong Kong. dinner in Italy.

2011-10-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday last week. What better time to enjoy some of the fabulous restaurants our city has to offer? What can you give a person who has it all? Wonderful meals prepared by someone else. My husband gave me all that and more.

Lunch.

Ocean City

Dim sum is hands down my favorite lunch of all time. Comfort food at its finest. Most of the dim sum in Portland is served in Chinatown. Restaurants here include Fong Chong and House of Louie, neither of which are the cleanest restaurants ever encountered. I have been reasonably happy with these for many years, however. That was until I discovered... Ocean City (or as we like to refer to it... Ocean Magic). Remember Ocean Magic Barbie? She wore a wet suit that, when warmed, as in warm water, disappeared. She came with a very small whale. My husband and I did a photo shoot for Mattel many years ago that involved ‘Ocean Magic Barbie’ and the real live ‘Keiko the Whale’ at the Newport aquarium. She was later sold as ‘Ocean Friends Barbie and Baby Keiko the Whale.’

Why was there never a pregnant Barbie? Because Ken came in a different box!

Alrighty then...

Ocean City is a bit of a distance from us, but definitely worth the drive. When you enter, the first thing you may notice is the fact that there are very few non-Asian customers in sight. In fact, we were exclusive. English is not the preferred language here. It helps if you know your dim sum to assure you can fill the table and your tummy with all your favorites.

When the carts stop at our table, I intercept with questions? Ha gau? Cheong fan? Shu mai? Hun shi gao? Hum bao?

Small, shiny metal containers are pulled from the depths of the cart. The steaming contents are revealed as they’re laid out in front of us like gifts for the queen.

Slurping and mmmmming are allowed, if not encouraged.

One of the most delicious items they offer is not in the carts. You must ask, in your best Chinese, for the barbecued pork. This delicacy is a must have! Displayed like prizes in the front of the restaurant, pork and duck hangs in glass cases resembling the animal it once was. The pork is a tenderloin sliced and served warm on a small platter with plum sauce on the side. Drool!

_____________________________________________________

Dinner.

Piazza Italia

Leave your American ideas and language at the front door. When you walk through the door at Piazza Italia, you are in Italy. We made a reservation for 9pm. A respectable time for a European meal, especially when you’re still recovering from a trip to Hong Kong earlier in the day.

If your first impressions of a good Italian restaurant are the bread, you’ll be in awe from the get go. One person made the rounds, making sure our bread basket and balsamic/olive oil well were full at all times. The freshly baked bread is cut into sample sized bites, which keeps you from realizing just how much of it you’re consuming. The wait staff is unhurried and relaxed and customers are greeted like long lost relatives stopping by for the holidays. Wine is poured with a heavy hand, laughter and loud jovial conversations abound. If you’re looking for a restaurant where you will feel welcome and appreciated, you’ve arrived. Tables are placed very close together, and by the end of your long meal you may even make a new friend, or, in our case, learn more about the couple next to you than you really cared to.

The menu is somewhat limited, but consists of homemade pastas that are out of this world. I ordered the Linguine Squarciarella (aka Gino’s favorite) a simple linguine made with eggs, prosciutto, onions and parmesan cheese. This was a large mound of pasta, which I managed to consume in its entirety. Squisito!

This week I will dream of noodles and gnocchi while consuming only

salads and smoothies... sigh.

chocolate and sea salt cookies

2011-10-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

In last week’s giveaway, these were the most requested cookies. I guess I’m not the only one in love with bittersweet chocolate and salt. The intense flavors of dark chocolate and fleur de sel come together for a party in your mouth. If you have not yet tried this combo, don’t walk, run to the store and pick up the ingredients to make these now. I’m pretty sure that if every human being could eat just one of these every day, there would indeed be peace in the world!

The following recipe has been adapted from one published in The Oregonian and shared with me by my friend Theresa.

Chocolat Paix Mondiale et Cookies au sel de mer
World Peace Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips

Directions

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and pale yellow. Add the sugars, salt and vanilla and mix another 2 minutes.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the sifted dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the mixer to protect anything around it from flying flour. Mix at low speed about 5 times for a second or two each time. Then mix about 30 seconds more. Mix just until the flour disappears into the dough. Work the dough as little as possible. It may look a little crumbly... no worries. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix just until incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together and divide it in half. Shape into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into rounds that are about 1/2 inch thick. (They may crack a bit as you’re cutting them. No worries. Just squeeze the chocolatey bits back onto the cookie). Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake each batch, one sheet at a time, for 12 minutes. They won’t look done, they won’t be firm at this point. They’ll firm up and become sandy/crumbly as they cool. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack.

Here are a couple key ingredients that make these amazingly delicious:

Fleur de Sel

My Mother-in-law brought this back from Paris. You can see another creation I made with it here. Once you go French, you’ll never go back!

Guittard chocolate

In the mid 1800’s, Etienne Guittard traveled to San Francisco searching for gold that he never found. He brought with him delicious chocolate from his uncle’s factory in France. Understandably, this chocolate made him very popular, which inspired Etienne to establish the Guittard Chocolate Company in San Francisco, in 1868. I’m so glad he did!

You can order boxes of Guittard chocolate from Amazon.com or if you have a Williams-Sonoma store in your area, they carry it as well.

berry good freezer jam

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

My Mom has always been a very organized housekeeper. Living with five kids and a husband, she followed a regimented schedule. Dinner went on the table at 5:30 sharp. My Dad walked in the door at 5:20. There were laundry days, vacuuming days, lawn watering days, floor scrubbing days... you get the idea. Some chores only came around a couple times a year.

Preserving day was the day my Mom made a giant mess in her kitchen. Oodles of brightly colored berries were hauled into the house, washed and placed in a big metal cone that was covered with small holes. A chinois? She griped a permanently stained wooden tool to churn the berries. Red juice flowed like a fountain, leaving behind only unwanted seeds. I wish I had this tool now. It could be great for making tomato sauce.

Even though the methods and tools may have simplified over the years, I don’t have the time or patience. With all the safety regulations around home canning, I fear poisoning someone.

Here in Oregon, we have some of the sweetest strawberries in the world. If you picked some of these beauties back in June, and stowed them away in your freezer, the cold rainy days of fall are a perfect time to produce some freezer jam.

If you don’t have fresh frozen berries, it’s not too late to visit a local farm. Many have a variety of frozen berries available for purchase during their fall harvest festivities.

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Makes 6-7 eight-ounce jars
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients

1 package Pamona’s Universal Pectin
4 cups crushed fresh strawberries
2 cups sugar or 1 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)
3/4 cup water
3 teaspoons pectin powder (this will be in the Pamona’s pectin box)
4-10 teaspoons of calcium water (the calcium powder is also in the Pamona’s box.)

Directions

Make the calcium water. Put 1/2 teaspoon of calcium powder and 1/2 cup of water in a small container with a lid. Shake well before using. This can be stored in the refrigerator between uses and will last a couple months.

Remove stems from berries and rinse with cold water. Crush berries with a potato masher (or puree in a food processor if you like fewer solids).

Add the sweetener of your choice to the crushed berries.

Boil 3/4 cup of water and pour it into a food processor or blender. Add 3 teaspoons of the pectin powder. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until all the powder has dissolved. Add this hot mixture to the fruit and mix well.

Add 4 teaspoons of the premixed calcium water into the fruit mixture. Continue to add more calcium water a teaspoon at a time, just until it begins to jell. Mine jelled with 5 teaspoons.

Pour the jam into 8-ounce jars or containers. Make sure to leave 1/2" at the top for expansion that occurs in the freezing process. Cover the jars and place them in the freezer.

When removed from the freezer, partially used jam can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

NOTE: You can substitute sugar/honey with the sweetener of your choice. Some options are: a concentrated fruit juice; stevia; or splenda. Pamona’s Pectin contains only pure citrus pectin and it works well with whatever sweetener you choose. Experiment with various amounts of sweeteners to suit your taste.

Pat yourself on the back for not buying jam with chemicals added. Then go get yourself a freshly baked loaf of rustic bread, coat it with unsalted butter and spoon on a generous helping of scrumptilicious homemade jam.

Mmmmmm... lip-smackin’, finger-lickin’ good!

and the winner is...

2011-09-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

#8 - Sharon (from Knot-Cha-Cha)

“Tollhouse cookies have always been my favorite. All three of your cookies look great, but I would choose the chocolate with sea salt because they sound intriguing and after chocolate one of my next favorite things is salt, ha ha! I am a follower who is always delighted when I visit your blog. Such great photography!”

Congratulations Sharon!

Please email me at ClassenDesign@gmail.com with your mailing info.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go bake some cookies.

how many is too many?

2011-09-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about fall in Oregon is the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. Local farms dot the landscape throughout small rural towns. Some of these are only open during the months of September and October. An array of goodies piled high in large wooden boxes obstruct entrances to farm stand stores. Shoppers are tempted with mouthwatering samples of the sweetest fruits, apple slices drizzled with warm caramel sauce, fresh from the fryer applesauce doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar, the aroma of freshly baked pies. All the produce is grown on site and harvested within hours of purchase. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!

On Saturday morning, my brother, sister-in-law, Mom, daughter and I all stuffed ourselves into my brother’s car and headed southwest. Our destination was Nye Beach near Newport Oregon. It took us six hours to make the two and a half hour drive. We stopped at farm stands along the way, had lunch at Cafe 22 near Salem, shopped at Double “H”.

Apparently onions grow large here.

Apple desserts will be baked in my kitchen this week.

I scored some awesome cowboy boots.
A girl can’t have too many boots, right? It rains a lot in the Northwest. I need you to help me justify my purchase, because this was not an absolute NEED. It was more like these boots spoke to the cowgirl in me. Thank you Dan Post! My birthday is coming up soon...

I preempted anything negative my husband (who was working at home) had to say about my purchase by texting him a photo of my new boots. Our conversation went like this:

Me: I bought two of these.
Hubby: Are they more than $25?
Me: x 11
Hubby: Wow. $36!
Me: That’s times, not plus
Hubby: Where’s my heart medicine?
Me: I thought you’d thank me for doing your shopping for you.
Hubby: Thank you!

Thank you Honey! I love my new boots!

The six hour drive (actually for me it was a ride) was all worth it when this was placed in front of me at Nana’s Pub in Nye Beach. This is a black n’ tan, made with Swithwick’s and Guinness. If you like beer that’s more malty than hoppy, and more dark and rich than light and flavorless, this combo is for you.

Just out of curiosity, how many pairs of boots do you own?

a giveaway! oatmeal, chocolate, and ginger, oh my!

2011-09-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

The delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted through my house last weekend: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip; Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt; and Ginger Molasses. I sampled each dough, as well as the baked cookies, several times before deciding on a favorite. All three varieties were placed into tightly sealed containers, and put in the freezer. My favorites are tucked behind the package of frozen peas. Bwaaaah haha! Hey, I was raised with four siblings, some things are hard to share.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Soft and chewy. The perfect cookie for your indulgent and health-conscious desires!

Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt
Crisp, chocolatey. Sweetness and saltiness in one package!

Ginger Molasses
Sugar and spice and everything nice!

The Giveaway:

I am giving away three (3) dozen freshly baked cookies. The winner chooses one of the three flavors above.

To enter: You must do three things...

In the comments section, answer these two questions...
1. What’s your favorite cookie?
2. Which flavor above would you want to arrive in your mailbox?
3. Follow my blog (if you don’t already) by clicking on “Join this site” (located on the left sidebar).

...and you'll be entered to win.

One entry per person, please.
No entries after noon (PDT) on Tuesday, September 27 .
Winner will be selected at random and announced Wednesday, September 28.

peaches, hold the cream

2011-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Today I put on a sweater, and it made me happy. Although we were deprived of a full summer this year, I absolutely love fall. School is back in session. This means a few uninterrupted hours during the day to work in my home office. Between evening dance and yoga classes, my daughter’s homework and my husband’s wacky work schedule, evening time together during the week is brief. I love preparing healthy meals, especially when they are simple, delicious and quick. I also love using local, fresh ingredients whenever I can. Actually, I consider myself to be a bit of a fresh food snob, equating my attitude and cooking style with that of Jamie Oliver.

Yes, I just used 'I love' three times in that above paragraph.

I have many friends who work in a structured office environment 40+ hours a week. Personally, I have no clue how they do it and also eat relatively healthy. Juggling household chores and client work (for those of you who don’t know, I also run a graphic design business) can be stressful at times, yet I feel so blessed to have a flexible schedule. A schedule that allows me to shop for and cook healthy meals for my family. It makes me feel we are wealthy in ways that no amount of money ever could.

I may or may not have purchased too many peaches at a local stand last week. After the peachy bread pudding was devoured, there were still a few peaches innocently lying in wait in my kitchen. This savory pork tenderloin was easy, delicious and after leaving it to marinade for seven hours, quick to make. Summer is ending, but I’m not ready to put the outside grill to bed. In fact, I’m not opposed to grillin’ in the rain.

This Peachy Canyon zinfandel was great in the marinade,
and even better out.

Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Peach Sauce
Printable Recipe
Serves 4-5

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup red wine
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
black pepper to taste
3 one pound pork tenderloin roasts
2 peaches

Directions

Sauté chopped onion and sugar in olive oil until onion is slightly golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in wine, soy sauce, balsamic, ginger, cinnamon and pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place pork and one cup of the sauce into a gallon sized resealable plastic bag. Seal tight and place into the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Turn it occasionally. Place the remaining sauce in a covered container and refrigerate.

Prepare the grill (medium heat). Remove pork from marinade and discard the bag and the marinade. Grill pork until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 155°F, turning often, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the remaining sauce in a heavy medium saucepan until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add chopped peaches. Stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Slice pork and arrange it on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce on top. Pass the remaining sauce separately at the table. You will want to add more of this yummy sauce!

I served this with roasted red potatoes and roasted corn on the cob. When the grill in on, I tend to throw anything and everything on it.

Have a good weekend! Happy grilling!

that’s peachy!

2011-09-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

We had such a slow start to summer in the Northwest. According to a local farmer, our peach season lasted exactly one week in Oregon. I must have blinked. I needed one more peach fling this year, (I had my first fix earlier this summer in Georgia.) I broke down and bought fresh Washington peaches at a local fruit stand. They're a bit of a disappointment. What's the best thing to do with peaches not quite up to par? You make recipes that include peaches, but avoid giving them the lead part. They become more of a supporting actress to all the other ingredients.

Peach Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

To make this you'll need: 3-4 ripe peaches (2 cups), eggs, sweetened condensed milk, hot water, vanilla, unsalted butter, cinnamon, one loaf of rustic bread.

Just ignore the corn syrup in this photo for now. You'll need that later for the sauce though.

Slice peaches in half, remove peel and pit. Measure out approximately two cups.

Place peach halves in a bowl.

Mash them. They don't need to be pureed smooth, let them be chunky.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, pour one 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk. Yum!

Crack three eggs into the bowl with the milk.

Mix it up.

Add 1/4 cup of unsalted butter.

Add 1 1/4 cups hot water.

Add one teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Add one teaspoon of vanilla.

Pour in the mashed peaches and mix that all up good.

Grab a loaf of rustic bread and rip it up into smallish pieces.

Keep ripping until you have four cups of bread chunks.

Put the bread pieces into the mixture and stir until the bread is saturated with liquid.

Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture into it.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour and ten minutes.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the sauce.

Caramel Sauce

You'll need: brown sugar, unsalted butter, light corn syrup, rum.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup, 1 Tablespoon rum, and 1/2 cup butter.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until it's slightly thicker. Let it cool a little.

Remove the bread pudding from the oven and inhale deeply through your nostrils over the top of it.

Serve warm with warm caramel sauce poured over and top it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop or two of ice cream.

A few fun peach facts:

• The peach originated in China and has special significance in Chinese culture. It has mystical attributes, and supposedly brings luck, abundance and protection.

• The peach tree is considered to be the tree of life and its fruit is the symbol of immortality and unity. Peach blossoms are frequently carried by Chinese brides.

• The term, “you’re a real peach” originated from the tradition of giving a peach to someone you liked.

Here's the recipe in its entirety...

Peach Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
PRINTABLE RECIPE
Serves 10

Ingredients

2 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and halved
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups rustic bread torn into small pieces

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon rum

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Chop the peaches and lightly mash them into a mixing bowl. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and eggs. Mix. Stir in the butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Add mashed peaches and mix. Add the bread chunks into the mixture and stir until the bread is completely moistened. Pour the pudding into the baking dish.

Bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

While the pudding is baking, combine the brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, corn syrup and run into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Remove the pudding from the oven and let it cool for about ten minutes before serving. Serve warm with the caramel sauce. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

I hope you have a peachy day!

room redo, part two

2011-09-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks. Days have been filled with reorganizing, preparing for school, completing work projects, and soaking up the last days of summer fun (swimming, hanging out with friends, evening hikes). We did make some progress on Iz's bedroom, closet, study area and playroom before the hot weather hit. There's still several details to finish, but she now has a space in which to plow through all that high school homework. Yep, I said high school! I am now officially the parent of a high-schooler!

This is how the bedroom looked...

It's really cute, but Isabel wanted something more mature and sophisticated.

We started with a new wall color.

After trying several swatches... (yes, including pink)

...we settled on a pale blue color. This is a Ralph Lauren paint.

Before...

After...

We replaced the twin bed with a full-sized antique iron one. After looking at every duvet cover from here to Connecticut, Isabel found one she approved of.

A small room is adjacent to Iz's bedroom. We've always referred to as the playroom. In the past few years, it's become more like a storage room. It's a funky shape with low ceilings and very little space for standing. While shopping at Ikea, Iz spotted a very low couch and immediately became very excited about turning this weirdly shaped space into a cozy lounge. A space to kick back, alone or with friends. So voila!

Before (playroom) ...

After (lounge) ...

Here's her new study area...

We're also working on making the walk-in closet more organized. Truckloads of junk were removed from the closet. The wooden boxes on the left are empty!

We found these nifty hooks for hanging scarves and such at Ikea that fold up when not in use.

Hmmmmm... this makeover has made that carpet look even more dingy. I'm sure it will be covered with clothes before long, so no need to replace that now.

I need a nap!

summer fare

2011-08-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose one favorite summer meal, it would be basil pesto and caprese salad. Simple. Easy. Uses several fresh ingredients from the garden. It makes me happy.

Caprese Salad

Pour 2-3 Tablespoons of good balsamic vinegar into a bowl
Add fresh mozzarella medallions and halved cherry tomatoes
Mix well
Top with fresh shredded basil leaves
Drizzle with good olive oil

Fresh Basil Pesto
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Place the following ingredients into a food processor:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup good olive oil

Mix until pureed and smooth

Add the above mixture to one package (16 oz.) of prepared pasta (I like linguine). Pass freshly grated parmesan at the table. You may want to add a little salt too.

I served this with a green salad, because I can't get enough of the fresh greens right now. The caprese can be served on the side with the green salad and the balsamic sauce can be drizzled onto the greens in place of dressing, so you don't add a foreign flavor to this delicious mix.

A freshly baked, warm baguette goes well with this too.

Enjoy with a glass (or two or three) of red wine on one of these warm summer evenings.

peach pie

2011-08-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

My teen starts high school in a few weeks. I'm not really sure how that can be possible. I want to help her start out the year with a system for keeping assignments and projects organized in one general area.

Here's an interesting fact: In the last 30 years, the size of the average American house has doubled, but the size of the average American family has halved. It's not that we don't have enough space; we have too much crap.

I tend to hyperventilate when there's too much clutter surrounding me, and trying to change my daughter's innate messy behavior creates friction between us. So, I've hired a professional organizer.

Ruth arrives tomorrow! Some preliminary purging was necessary prior to her arrival. I've completely cleaned out my very messy office closet (that's the catch-all spot to keep my space neat... you know, out of sight, out of mind), emptied out a small desk, and reorganized furniture to make room for a small photo studio. “What does your office being neat and organized have to do with your daughter's study space?” you ask.

All this purging motivated my daughter to do the same. Copious toys, clothes, shoes, junk were discarded or put in large plastic garbage bags for a garage sale. She refused my help. Yeah!

I grabbed this opportunity to do a little baking and photography in my new mini-photo studio space.

Looking forward to a late peach crop! and a visit from Ruth!

i scream, you scream...

2011-08-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

...for cinnamon ice cream.

Although we all thought it had been canceled this year, summer FINALLY arrived in Portland. What took you so long? Huh? Huh?

August 6... counting the weeks until school starts. Some days it's with anticipation of new projects. Some days it's with dread of rising early, juggling a crazy busy schedule again.

Most days I'm feeling like we still need to celebrate what's here and now. And what's here and now are the warm, long days of summer. Camping, barbecuing, swimming, bike riding, hiking, iced coffees, churning homemade ice cream.

Just in case you need more motivation to make this delicious ice cream, here are several benefits to ingesting cinnamon:

• Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.

• Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

• In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

• In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

• It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

• In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.

• When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.

• One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

• Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.

• It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Who knew?

I won't mention the cream and sugar part if you don't. Let’s just stay positive today, okay?

Cinnamon Ice Cream
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.

Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

scapes

2011-07-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

If you’re not familiar with these long green ropes, let me introduce you. Scapes meet blogger friends, blogger friends meet scapes. These are the flowering shoots of the garlic bulb. When I received them from a friend recently, I wasn’t sure whether to eat them raw, put them into a vase, or wear them.

Garlic grows underground, as you probably already know. As the bulb hardens, a shoot pokes its way through the ground. The shoot is long, thin, pliable and bright green before it turns papery and white. This green stage of growth is the garlic scape.

To grill scapes, cut the ends off (a few inches above the bulging bud) and give them a quick cold water bath. Drain.

Drizzle them with olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Throw them onto a hot grill.

Turn occasionally and grill until they look slightly blackened and a bit crispy.

Enjoy.

Hurry. They go fast.

My daughter told me these are her new favorite vegetables next to edamame.

I served them with other grilled veggies and chicken.

Get them while they’re hot. Before your kids eat them all.

The garlic flavor of scapes is fresh and light, and its even mellower when grilled. I’ve also heard that when used in place of basil, they make an awesome pesto. You could also cut them up and use them in soups, or use them in a dip, or sauté them with other veggies.

They’re as addicting as potato chips.

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

2011-07-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be saying, “lavender? in ice cream?”

If you are in fact skeptical, let me assure you this is pure heaven. The delicate, subtle flavors of lavender and honey make this cold, creamy dessert a perfect summer treat.

The grocery list: whole milk; heavy whipping cream; honey; dried lavender; granulated sugar; eggs; and an ice cream maker (I have an older model Cuisinart, but any type will do).

Grab a medium sized saucepan and pour in 2 cups of whole milk.

I could not figure out why the milk wouldn’t come out, so I stuck my finger in it. There was a thick layer of cream on top.

I removed the cream and discarded it... yum.

Then add 1/3 cup of honey

and 1/4 cup dried lavender (a bit less if you’re using fresh).

Make sure the lavender you use is edible. To be safe, I purchased mine at Williams-Sonoma, but you can find it fresh at many farmer’s markets for a brief period of time. Just make sure it’s organic English or French lavender grown specifically for culinary purposes.

Bring the milk, honey and lavender mixture to a gentle boil, then cover and remove it from the heat source. Let this mixture steep for about five minutes, as you would your tea.

Now strain the lavender mix, reserving the milk and honey and discarding the lavender (for real this time).

I used cheesecloth, but any small screened strainer will do the trick.

Now separate five eggs and dump the yolks into an electric mixer.

Add 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar to the yolks

Beat on medium-high speed until they’re very thick and pale yellow. About 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, back at your stove top... return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat, pour mixture into a medium sized bowl and immediately stir in one cup of cream.

Place bowl into an ice-water bath until chilled. Give it an occasional stir.

Place chilled mixture in an ice cream maker for about 20-30 minutes, or until it’s the consistency of soft ice cream.

Remove its loveliness from the ice cream maker and pour it into a sealable freezer container. Put it in the freezer for several hours.

Yummmmmmmm

Lavender Honey Ice Cream
(from Martha Stewart)
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Makes 1 quart

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dried lavender
1/3 cup honey
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving liquid and discarding lavender.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes. Return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat, and stir in one cup heavy cream. Strain mixture into a mixing bowl and set it in an ice-water bath. Let stand until chilled, stirring occasionally. Transfer to an ice cream maker and turn it on for about 25 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to two weeks.

Georgia... still on my mind

2011-06-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I just returned from 11 days in the South. Seven of those days were spent with friends Gaily and Chris in rural northeastern Georgia, followed by four days in Atlanta.

Pecan trees, vegetable gardens, a creek, a large rambling farm house, and a barn, are all located on my friend's ten acres of land near the small town of Ila, Georgia. Population: 328. It’s also home to many species of birds (including bob whites, cardinals, titmouse, and more), bunnies, coyotes, snakes, biting fire ants and one feral kitty named Sonny. They also keep bees at the far end of the property, and were in the process of extracting honey the day we left.

I adore Georgia! It is here in my friend's cozy farmhouse kitchen where I created my very first pie, 17 years ago. It was only fitting that I bake pie while visiting.

Pie dough must be rolled out early in the morning before the hot Georgia sun heats up the kitchen. Otherwise it’ll melt right off the dish before you get it in the oven, or worse yet, fall apart before it even gets into the dish.

I also made fresh basil pesto to accompany the pie. I'm so jealous that they already have basil and tomatoes to harvest. Mine aren't even planted yet!

hey, who stole my eggs?

2011-05-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

It seems a little early in the season for broody banties, but that’s what I’ve got.

These two have gone on strike from their egg laying duties. In spite of the fact that their job descriptions have not changed, they have decided to make their sole function in life keeping eggs warm for their coop mates. They believe these eggs will actually hatch... shhhhh... I haven’t had the heart to tell them otherwise.

When the barred rocks need nest box time, they choose to sit next to Nelly. Can’t say I blame them. Gidget is way too mean.

Bailey keeps a watchful eye on the girls when they’re roaming the yard.

Other random things going on:

In spite of the crappy spring weather, we’re doing lots of short hikes. Since I’ve also been doing a bit of baking, these hikes are essential.

I’m waiting, rather impatiently, for the weather to warm so I can get the vegetable garden planted. I really want to grow some micro greens.

Has anyone had any luck growing micro greens from seed in the Northwest? If so, where did you find the seeds?

What are you planting this year?

a thriller, a comedy and an unexplained chicken

2011-04-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Netflix may or may not be the best invention ever.

I could drive to a movie theater, park, buy popcorn, watch previews, watch a movie, and drive home in the time that it takes me to choose a movie to stream on Netflix.

Too many choices? That's only a small part of it. There are too many areas for potential distraction. There's the recommendations selected just for me. Searching by favorite actors, directors, genres, provides further distraction. Every corner opens new doors into a never-ending, deep dark abyss. When I select a movie that looks interesting, the website generates movies they think are similar to the one I've clicked. And on and on it goes.

Hours pass before I realize I'm not any closer to choosing a movie worthy of watching than when I logged in.

I watched two movies over the weekend. Neither of which were streamed from Netflix. Both of which I've previously viewed.

La Femme Nikita

This spy, action, thriller film, directed by the French filmmaker, Luc Besson, kept my attention when it first came out over ten years ago. That still holds true today. La Femme Nikita is the story of a young woman, Nikita, played by Anne Parillaud, who is transformed from a killer in the streets to a government assassin. In the opening scenes, she projects feral hostility and brings a wild animal persona to the role.

Cornered by police, Nikita takes advantage of a cop's momentary lapse of attention to grab his gun and shoot him directly in the face. She has no hope of escape. She is simply so deranged and strung-out that she doesn't care if she lives or dies.

Nikita is sentenced to death, but there's a surprising twist... her death was faked, and she finds herself inside a secret government program that takes people with no hope and remakes them into programmed assassins. Nikita is given a new identity, new values, new skills. Her controller, Bob, a tough spymaster, has the job of training her. She is so filled with anger and violence that she'd rather kick and bite him than listen to this man who spared her life.

There is more to Nikita than murder and mayhem. About a third of the way into the story, Nikita finds that she prefers love over hate, tenderness over brutality. Watching her transition from crazed killer to a woman with unself-conscious grace, adds tenderness to this thriller. Stunning cinematography, superb acting and extraordinary writing all come together to make this movie one of my all-time favorites.

The Hangover

What do a tiger, a chicken, a horrible, effeminate, Chinese stereotype man naked in a car trunk, a stolen police car, Mike Tyson, a baby, a missing tooth and Phil Collins’ music all have in common? Answer: Nothing, but within 100 minutes this movie finds a way to juxtapose and explain all. Well...except the chicken.

In short, it's a film about four guys who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Sounds very formula, right? Au contrair, mon ami! The movie opens with a wedding montage, then we cut to the disheveled group and Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper) making the call to the groom’s wife, “We fucked up.” The rest of the movie explains how profoundly they "fucked up."

That's all I can tell you about it without giving too much away.

For this one I highly recommend you grab your favorite alcoholic beverage, sit back and be prepared to laugh. And if you're not laughing, you're taking it way too seriously!

Be warned: neither of these movies are kid friendly. Adults only! I don't want to be held responsible for the corruption of your children.

Tell me... what good movies have you seen lately?

la coopérative: raising backyard chickens, Part 2

2011-04-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

The first coop I purchased was small. About the size of a rabbit hutch. A wooden box about four feet wide and three feet high. I figured bantys don't need much space and that's all I was planning to keep on our city lot.

I purchased our first chicks (four bantys) and raised them in a plastic brooder made out of a rubbermaid container kept in the bathtub, warmed with a 60 watt light bulb. After about five months, I realized two of those chicks made different noises than the others.

Kind of a bummer 'cause this guy was really hard to part with...

It's impossible to sex banty chicks, so you take a chance. There are advantages to purchasing chicks though. First of all, who doesn't love to hold and care for adorable, fluffy little chicks? Second, hand raised chickens are usually friendlier and easier to handle than those raised without regular human touch. This is essential when you need to clean a pasty butt or use them as models.

Our banty hens are great layers, but when you bake as much as I do, standard size chicken eggs are essential. Larger chickens = larger coop.

I searched Craig's List. I searched chicken sites on the internet. I knew what I wanted, but I also knew I didn't have the ability to build it myself. Here's where local carpenter Jeff Dunn comes in. He builds aesthetically pleasing, functional coops.

Jeff built this offsite, delivered it, and placed it in our backyard. Voilà!

This houses our five hens quite well. The coop is not insulated, but chickens have a natural ability to keep warm as long as they're fully feathered. I use this light only when temperatures drop below about 15 degrees for several days.

During the day, the girls wander freely around the yard, scratching the soil, eating weeds and bugs, generally wreaking havoc on the garden. There are benefits to this. I used to till the raised beds, but now I just let the girls have at it between plantings. This creates healthy soil and happy chickens!

Any predators are pretty much kept at bay while Bailey's in charge.

Bailey and the chicks arrived about the same time, so she was trained to protect them beginning at an early age.

If you're planning to get chickens, and don't have a chicken tender like Bailey, you'll want to build a run with a cover to keep them safe and let them get some exercise.

Happy hens will supply these gifts on a regular basis (for at least two years). The most delicious, expensive eggs ever to pass your lips.

Yum!

back to chickens

2011-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who stop by expecting to hear about chickens, food, or my family, stick around. The next few posts will be all about chickens.

In case you're just joining me, here's a recap of the initial purpose of this blog. Raising chickens on a city lot in the city.

I've had chickens (hens only, no roosters allowed in the city) for four years now. Some of my girls are four years old and still laying eggs.

Let's meet them.

Gidget. Feisty chicken extraordinaire. She's a banty Araucana or Easter Egger. She lays small, beautiful green eggs.

She rules the roost. Gidget never thinks twice about bossing even the largest hens around the coop. She's as mean as a snake and as cruel as a cat.

Nelly. Our sweetest and smallest chicken. She's a banty buff sebright. A petite little thing. No fluffy butt here.

Nelly is as sweet as pie. Unlike Gidget, she never gets her feathers in a bind when a new coop mate moves in. She just carries on. She loves to wander into the kitchen uninvited or peek at me while perched on the windowsill. She was featured in the Backyard Chicken calendar. Miss January 2009. Although they're like night and day, Nelly and Gidget are BFFs.

Lucy and Ethel. Barred Rocks. These two are living up to their namesakes. Ethel is slightly larger than Lucy. I can't really tell them apart, but my daughter says she can. They both lay large brown eggs every day. One of them lays speckled eggs, although I have no idea which one.

Together these girls get themselves into more trouble than... well... Lucy and Ethel. You can read about a few of their antics here.

Wynonna. A golden-laced wyandotte and our most beautiful chicken. She's never laid an egg in the three years we've had her. We keep her around because she's a supermodel.

Here she is in oil...

Painting by Bruce Anderson

Here she is in flight...

You might be thinking, “but chickens don’t fly.” Here’s proof they do. This shot of Wynonna was taken by my amazing animal photographer friend, Carli Davidson. You can see more of her work at carlidavidson.photoshelter.com.

Next: the coop

THE JACKET PROJECT: conclusion

2011-04-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have 27 jackets. Too many? Raise your hand if you agree with my husband.

During the duration of this project, Japan experienced a major earthquake, a devastating tsunami, and several nuclear disasters. The United States became involved in a military intervention against Libya. Elizabeth Taylor died. It rained every day in Portland.

I have one teeny tiny confession. There are actually ten more jackets in my closet that were not included because they weren’t photo worthy.

Here’s a little perspective: Imelda Marcos owned 3,000 pairs of shoes.

27 (or 37) jackets... ha, piddly.

Jackets rule!

Carry on.

the jacket project day 27

2011-04-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Calvin Klein yellow rain jacket/coat with hood. I had a dream about a yellow jacket similar to this one. On my way to lunch at Nordstrom’s cafe the next day, I couldn’t ignore the vibrant yellow in my peripheral vision. I love its big silver buttons.

This shot was snapped by my husband. He told me to visualize a cute, soft little duck. Then he slapped his hand down on the imaginary duck. Smack! no more duck. He clicked just in time to get me with this shocked expression. Have you seen the Audrey Hepburn movie, Funny Face? Then you’ll get this reference. If you haven’t seen it, you need to.

the jacket project day 26

2011-04-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

This jacket is by Community from Aritzia. It’s made from renewable hemp, which makes it a perfect Portlandia jacket. If you’ve never been to an Aritzia, you must check them out. Super cute clothes (although a bit on the spendy side).

Aritzia has the best sales ever, and I happen to be there the minute this jacket was discarded by another customer in time to snatch it up at 80% off its regular price of $200.

the jacket project day 25

2011-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Bright fuchsia yoga jacket from Lucy. I purchased this around Valentine’s day when Lucy’s had 25% off anything pink. Like the turquoise yoga jacket, it has thumb slots, which are so awesome for keeping your hands warm after a workout.

Namasté.

the jacket project day 24

2011-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Military style jacket by Trouvé. Probably not an essential item, but I like it. It has a zipper around the collar that goes nowhere. Good with jeans or a skirt and boots.

the jacket project day 23

2011-03-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Eddie Bauer, Girl on the Go raincoat. This one is essential for rainy weather when I need a coat that goes with anything. It’s rain and wind proof and works well with both jeans and skirts.

the jacket project day 22

2011-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

White denim Cabi jacket. I love all the zippers on this jacket. Unfortunately, it spends a lot of time in the laundry hamper. Why is white like a magnet?

the jacket project day 21

2011-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Halogen red-orange rain jacket with front snaps. A bright spot for a dark day. I think it’s much cuter unbuttoned (actually unsnapped), but unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of it that way.

the jacket project day 20

2011-03-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Cabi chocolate brown faux fur. I got this at the Cabi outlet store in Woodburn for something like 80% off. This jacket and I have not had any memorable moments together, so we’re parting ways. My daughter loves it, so I’m passing it her way.

the jacket project day 19

2011-03-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Dark denim jacket by Rubbish. Every girl needs at least one denim jacket to satisfy her inner cowgirl.

the jacket project day 18

2011-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Kristen Blake black wool jacket. This jacket/coat has always been a bit large on me even though it’s a size XS. Great for layering over a bulky sweater. It has been to the dry cleaners more times than I can remember, and I’m thinking it is ready to retire after this season.

the jacket project day 17

2011-03-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

First Ascent ultralight, waterproof, breathable jacket. A must have. This is my go-to jacket for a rainy morning run.

the jacket project day 16

2011-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Lucky brand faux leopard fur jacket. My daughter bought me this for Christmas 2010. It’s soft, warm and very pettable.

the jacket project day 15

2011-03-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

By Sigrid Olsen. A Nordstrom sale jacket. I didn’t choose this one, it chose me. It screamed my name as I tried to walk by. It’s a bit slouchy and comfortable, and maybe a bit more like a sweater than a jacket or coat. It has a turquoise lining, which adds a nice touch when left unbuttoned.

the jacket project day 14

2011-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This unique wool embroidered jacket was purchased by my husband last Christmas. He has good taste! It’s from a little store on NW 23rd Avenue in Portland called Dazzle. He also purchased the scarf, which matches it very nicely.

the jacket project day 13

2011-03-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

Reversible raincoat from Coldwater Creek. I’ve never worn it on it’s reversible side, which as you can see is another animal print. A good lightweight jacket to have when you want to wear a hat or carry an umbrella since it doesn’t have a hood.

the jacket project day 12

2011-03-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

I needed to replace some of my worn out workout jackets recently. Everyone deserves a workout reward or two, right? This one is from Lucy. They were having a 25% off all blue jackets day. I especially like the thumb slots and the color.

the jacket project day 11

2011-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Green silk embroidered jacket by Da-Nang. I found this at the Goodwill in Portland on 10th and Taylor. I haven’t found many places to wear it, but I’m thinking it needs to attend an art opening or something.

the jacket project day 10

2011-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

A boyfriend jacket. Very essential. Purchased at Syzygy in Manzanita last year. It’s attended two funerals with me.

the jacket project day 9

2011-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Black kid leather jacket from Nordstrom. I purchased this at a fall anniversary sale many years ago.

This is one of those jackets that I’ve had for so long that it’s been in and out of style several times. Isabel’s had her eye on this one lately.

the jacket project day 8

2011-03-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

A Cabi quilted, faux fur trimmed jacket. I actually liked this so much that I bought another one exactly like it that I found at a secondhand store (to give to my daughter, of course!)

the jacket project day 7

2011-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Red wool jacket from Cabi. I purchased this one at their outlet store in Woodburn. I hate to admit this, but I’ve had this jacket for a couple of years, and have not yet worn it. Time to give it away?

the jacket project day 6

2011-03-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

This jacket is by Christopher Blue. Chocolate brown, copper buttons and faux sheepskin fur trim. I found this at one of my favorite clothing stores, Syzygy, which is located in the Oregon coastal town of Manzanita. I rarely go in there without finding something I must have.

the jacket project day 5

2011-03-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Eddie Bauer safari jacket. I bought this for our trip to The Galapagos last summer. It seemed like an essential item for the trip. It packs very well, is lightweight and doesn’t easily wrinkle. I channel Osa Johnson when I wear this jacket.

the jacket project day 4

2011-03-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Michael Kors orange trench. Purchased at Nordstrom. This one is essential for brightening up a dark, dreary Portland spring day.

the jacket project day 3

2011-03-09T10:00:00.001-08:00

Anne Klein tweed jacket. Very Nancy Drew. A Goodwill find. I actually bought this for my daughter, but she didn't love it. It’s a size 2.

the jacket project day 2

2011-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is a Nordstrom Classiques Entier jacket (or coat). Faux leopard with orange lining and rhinestone buttons. I couldn't resist this one, and it followed me home a couple of years ago. Essential for holiday parties and fun.

the jacket project

2011-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

I love jackets!

We live in Oregon where the weather is unpredictable. Jackets are necessary at least ten months of the year.

It’s taken awhile for me to admit this, but I may have a jacket obsession. I’m still not totally convinced that this is a problem, but my husband seems to think it is.

Since I needed to try out my new camera, and to prove my husband wrong about my possession of too many jackets, I decided to photograph the jackets I currently have in my closet.

This is the first of several posts highlighting my jacket collection.

Above: Eddie Bauer down filled jacket with faux fur trim. An essential jacket on cold, winter days.

eating light(er)

2011-02-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

The winter holidays have never been a source of weight gain for me. Usually I’m so busy and stressed out that I don’t consume enough calories. Don’t hate, but I've never had a tendency to put on weight. Until recently I had never dieted. But in the last couple of years, especially during the long winter months, the scale has been rising upward. Seemingly overnight, I could eat nothing and still gain weight. Upon hearing this statement my husband somewhat jokingly said, “She hasn't actually tried that.” I love to cook. I love to eat good food.

Adjustments were required. I won’t call this a New Year’s resolution. They have always seemed foolish to me. Resolutions set you up for failure and make you feel guilty when broken. Failure and guilt are two words I’d just as soon leave out of my vocabulary.

On January 1, I began a low-carb diet. I didn’t have any clue what this meant. What exactly are carbs? How do I know if I eat too many of them? I learned that carbs are what give you a bit of a food high, I also learned that without enough of them your brain doesn’t function to its full potential and you can feel a bit dizzy. Basically, I cut out sugar in any form, bread, pasta, fruit and beer. And ate more veggies, meat, nuts and eggs.

Lunch became my favorite meal of the day.

Breakfast, not so much. I missed having fresh fruit. And toast. I craved fresh bread more than anything else.

Dinner... what another salad?

After about three weeks, I had dropped only three pounds. My head was foggy, I didn’t have enough energy to run more than a mile.

Now I’m back to eating fruit smoothies for breakfast, running at least three mornings a week, doing yoga and lifting weights at the gym two times a week. It’s the eat less, move more diet.

“I’m one stomach flu away from my goal weight.”

got eggs?

2011-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Our sweet, pesky hens continue to lay through winter. Yeah!

Sorry I've been an absent blogger lately. I’m sure it doesn’t interest you to hear about all my day to day drudgery and drivel. I’ve been hunkered down on these dark days of winter, trying not to let life bring me down. It’s not all bad. I’ve had a chance to make some headway on the extra long hat I’ve been knitting for my mother-in-law for the last year.

Iz and I baked cookies.

Have you ever thought about the fact that you bake cookies, and you cook bacon?

These were a bit of an accident. I was out of regular flour, so we used bread flour in the traditional tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. It made for a more cakey, thicker cookie I can really sink my teeth into. Yum!

Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
Soften butter. Add sugars and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour mixture and blend.
Add chocolate chips. Stir.
If you have any dough left after you’ve taste tested it, roll into balls.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 11-12 minutes.

I hope you have a great week!

fresh faces: dance portraits

2011-01-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Over the winter break I photographed another dance performance. This time at the beautiful Lake Oswego high school. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.

adiós para siempre 2010

2011-01-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Goodbye forever 2010!

I have mixed emotions about the year. It had it’s ups and downs, that’s for sure.

A few ups: M and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Isabel turned 13 (I love, love, love this age). We took an incredible trip to the Galapagos Islands. Our chicks grew into hens, and we ate many delicious foods made with their eggs.

The downs: In March we lost my beloved Dad, and in December my sweet Aunt passed away.

Thanks for all your love and support in 2010!

Happy new year!

happy holidays bloggy friends

2010-12-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, it’s been awhile. Thanks for stopping by! I’m still trying to figure out why Christmas was even busier than usual this year. Could it be my obsession to make everything as close to perfect as possible? I decided to make a lot of gifts this year instead of shopping. I probably spent as much time shopping for supplies, but I didn’t have to pull my hair out coming up with individual ideas for each member of our two large families. Here are a few of the homemade gifts...

Soap...

After a bit of trial and error, I think these turned out pretty well. There’s a wonderful soap supply company in town that helped make this project much easier by supplying me with melt-and-pour blocks and awesome molds. I wish I could add a scratch and sniff here so you could smell their wonderfulness. The bee soaps are scented with an almond/honey oil that makes them smell yummy enough to eat.

Cookies...

My daughter did all the decorating of the cut-outs this year. Nice job Isabel!

Cinnamon rolls...

This little kitchen gadget made all the baking a bit easier. Merry Christmas to me!

My Mom stopped by so Isabel could teach her how to decorate cookies. Baking cookies together is one of our many holiday traditions.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday too! Thank you for being my bloggy friend in 2010!

finally

2010-12-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Our hens have a unique way of carving pumpkins. They aren’t very creative, but it’s the only way they get carved around here. Long after Halloween is over.

a dog’s life...

2010-12-03T15:23:00.000-08:00

From Bailey’s perspective, this was a really good day! She had a long run at the park this morning. Took a walk through the busy village nearby where she was able to greet lots of people. Visited her favorite pet store where she received treats, sniffed some dog butts, and peed on a display of her favorite dog food.

Best of all, the sun is out... there’s no rain in sight.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

happy holidaze

2010-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Early November is the start of the holiday season for us. M’s birthday is first on the list.

Thanksgiving at the beach with M’s family comes next.

My sister-in-law created a dish involving prosciutto and brussels sprouts. It’s the first time I enjoyed eating these little green balls.

A few people cooked tons of food.

Others lounged inside around the warm fire while it poured down rain outside.

I made pies.

The last holiday celebration of November involved me cooking, cleaning, and cooking some more, and more cleaning. We had my family over on Thanksgiving day. I made turkey, stuffing, creamed onions, green beans, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and these satsuma vodka-tinis.

Ahhhhhhh!

Guests brought sweet potatoes, apple pie, rolls, and fruit salad.

Here’s the recipe for the cocktail. It may help get you through the holidays with your sanity intact.

Satsuma Vodka-Tini
(from Cooking Light magazine)

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup sugar
4 whole satsumas, peeled
3/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor and process until pureed. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl or wide mouth pitcher, pressing to extract juice. Discard solids. Stir in 3/4 cup Grand Marnier and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. Place 1 cup satsuma mixture in a martini shaker with 1/2 cup crushed ice. Shake. Strain mixture into 2 chilled martini glasses. Repeat procedure to make 10 cocktails. Enjoy in moderation if you have to drive this holiday season.

it’s not too late to sleep like a baby

2010-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

I was dreading the task of mattress shopping for my daughter’s room. It seemed as daunting as buying a new car. I googled mattresses and came across Sleep Country (Sleep Country USA... why buy a mattress anywhere else) and Mattress World (it’s not too late to sleep like a baby). Were you singing their jingles as you read these? Then you have these stores where you live. If you don’t have these stores where you are, and you haven’t heard their obnoxious jingles, consider yourself lucky. They’re right up there with Up, Up, and Away. Or It’s a Small World. You’re welcome.

Then I happened upon something that looked a bit different. Mattress Lot. When I read their story to my husband, he was onboard to go shopping. You can read their story here.

Mattress Lot is family owned and sells only locally made mattresses. All their mattresses are made in Oregon and Washington. They only work with manufacturers who are committed to earth-friendly production techniques, so all their mattresses are made of recycled metals and fabrics, and soy based foams.

The story of this family is unique... After losing his job as a television advertising executive, Michael Hanna (you may remember seeing him reporting news on a local station too) took a risk. He took out a home-equity loan, purchased a truckload of mattresses, and started a business. Six months later, they were turning a profit.

Walking in the doors at Mattress Lot was a pleasant surprise. We were greeted by the store’s owner, Michael, and a very friendly Portuguese water dog. A knowledgeable young girl, not much older than Iz showed us around, and pointed out some features I never would have considered. “Do you spend any time sitting on the edge of your bed? Then this one provides better support.”

My daughter quickly found a soft pillowtop to her liking, but that didn’t keep us from lounging on lots of other mattresses throughout the store.

When Mattress Lot has a delivery near their northeast Portland store, they do so on a special trailer attached to the back of a tandem bicycle. How cool is that?

squish squash... it’s fall

2010-11-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Fall has not officially arrived until I’ve made at least one pumpkin pie and a pot of squash soup. In years past, both of these items are made for our annual Halloween party. But, since we spent Halloween evening at some friends’ house this year, neither of these things have graced our table.

Today, because it’s a warm and sunny fall day, and the leaves are a million shades of beautiful golden colors, and fall is halfway over, I’m making squash soup.

DELICATA SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds of Delicata squash (or your favorite squash) I like the sweet flavor Delicata brings to the mix
2 medium sized sweet onions
2 large carrots
1 celery
2 apples, peeled and cored
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2-3 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon good curry powder
1/2 - 1 cup half and half (or cream if you want it a bit richer)

Instructions:

Peel, gut and dice the squash into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onions and cut into 1-inch chunks. Peel two carrots and cut them into small pieces. Do the same with the apples, and cut the celery into small pieces too.

Throw all the fruits and vegetables into a baking dish, drizzle with some good olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast these in a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until roasted, browned and quite soft.

While the veggies are roasting safely in your oven, heat up your homemade chicken stock (in my case, turkey stock) that’s tucked way in the back of your freezer. If you didn’t tuck any homemade stock in your freezer, no worry, you can use the canned stuff. Heat it up in a pot on the stove.

Once the veggies are done, combine them together with the chicken stock in small batches, in a food processor or blender until thoroughly pureed. Repeat this process until all fruits and veggies have been pureed.

Pour the pureed soup back into the pot on the stove and add the two remaining ingredients, curry powder and half and half. Heat on medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

You can serve with a few condiments on the side such as nuts, coconut, cilantro, banana, a simple dollop of sour cream, or bare naked. Not you, the soup!

Serve with a green salad and a loaf of warm, crusty bread. And since my hubby just came back from the store – where I sent him for the fresh crusty bread – with a bit of salami and cheese, we’ll be having that as well.

I love fall!

the scariest costume of the night

2010-10-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Do you know which actress she’s supposed to be?

I do love costumes that can be put together mostly with things we already have. I’ve collected a few retro pieces (and saved some too) over the years, in hopes that one day my daughter would enjoy dressing up in them.

Scary.

Happy Halloween!

a young girl’s journey from Milan to Minsk

2010-10-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Time for a room makeover.

Iz does not consider herself a girlie girl, but one might assume from her style choices that she has less of a tomboy personality than she lets on. Her tastes are very specific, but not at all predictable. That is to say I cannot just go out and pick something up without her approval. But that doesn't keep me from trying.

This transition from childhood to teen room started several weeks ago when Iz was digging around in the dark depths of the basement and ran across my old iron bed. “Would that fit in my room?” I got out the measuring tape and discovered that YES, it would fit. Tight. But yes.

What better time for a makeover than the transition from girl to teen?

This is what her room looked like before we took out the twin sized bed and moved everything else to her playroom, or into the hallway where we could stumble over them in the dark of night.

We began by putting a white primer on the walls to help our final color cover up that bright yellow.

We tried out several shades of pink...

Yes. Pink. For my non-girlie girl daughter.

More to come...

collections | Italian pottery

2010-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I received a stoneware pottery casserole dish as a high school graduation gift. That dish is still used regularly in our kitchen. Through the years I've sought out pottery at local pottery shows, flea markets, antique stores, garage sales, Goodwill, and ebay for all sorts of handmade pottery. Raku, Native American, Mexican, McCoy, Shawnee, and Italian pottery have all been collected at different times. For several years I even traveled all the way to Florida to rummage through weekend garage sales for kitschy things.

These days are more about simplifying and less about acquiring. Oh don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE rooting around a good sale.

Have you ever been to a designer Goodwill store? We happen to have one here in downtown Portland. This is the premium Goodwill store that receives slightly used designer discards. It’s here that you’ll find racks of designer jeans, dresses, jackets, jewelry, handbags, shoes, and a few home decorating pieces too. I stopped in a while back and picked up a cute pair of Michael Kors jeans and a tweed Anne Klein jacket.

If you’re lucky enough to be in the store when boxes full of goodies come through the door, you might find something you must have even before it’s unpacked.

Trinkets like this...

Or this...

This urn was on display in the front window.

Imagine my surprise.

I have the perfect corner for it!

a trip to the pumpkin patch...

2010-10-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

... means hot, crispy, sugary, delicious apple cider doughnuts. Yum.

Do you spell it doughnut or donut?

At Fir Point Farms in Aurora, Oregon, doughnuts/donuts are made to order during the month of October. They make pumpkin ones too, but I’m too in love with the apple cider version to allow my taste buds to stray.

Hot, fresh out-of-the-fryer, just like my Grandmother used to make, doughnuts... Oh my!

meet Moltin’ Nelly...

2010-10-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

No worries, her feathers came back in beautifully.

Lucy and Ethel

2010-10-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

I love these girls... they’re everything I wanted in chickens and more. They’re mischievous, friendly, easy going, and great egg layers too.

As soon as we returned from the Galapagos, Lucy and Ethel started acting very strangely. I received a call from my neighbor on Sunday morning. “I have a chicken in my backyard, and I don’t remember having any of those.” I threw on some clothes, went out the front door, only to find Lucy wandering around the front walkway squawking her head off.

My husband spotted both Lucy and Ethel two houses down terrorizing the neighbors cat who was crouched under a bush shaking in his boots. It took both of us to herd them safely back home.

The next morning I found this in the nest box...

Isn’t it a beauty?

I found Ethel sitting under a tomato plant in one of our raised beds a few mornings later. She was possessively sitting on half a dozen eggs. I explained to her how those were actually our eggs. We rightfully bought them. She reluctantly allowed me to take them.

I left one in the nest box, hoping she’d get the subtle hint, and low and behold the next day she actually laid an egg in that same box.

One of these eggs is not like the others.

Ouch, that must have hurt.

A very tasty double yolker...

Happy hens lay the best eggs!

is this a good thing?

2010-09-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

The start of the school year is always a bit frantic... purchase $100+ of supplies, organize notebooks, binders, sharpen pencils, get up early, back into a routine. Those are good things. The first week is always exciting... Which electives did you get? Which teachers did you get? Which friends are in your classes? Where's your locker?

Then the second week arrives, and along with it, homework! This year there is plenty of it. The reality of it all doesn’t really come until parents attend Back-to-School night. This is the night when parents rush around the school going to all your child's classes following the order that your child has written out for you, in an hour and a half. Parents are in each class for exactly ten minutes, with three minutes in between to run to the next class on the schedule. Note to self: next year do NOT wear heels. Running shoes only!

In those ten minutes parents are informed of what each class will cover for the year, how much work is expected to take place at home (aka homework), and told how we can help our child(ren) accomplish all this. There are several projects that parents need to be involved with this year such as community service projects and a family history term paper. Oh, and then we're asked to volunteer either on a regular basis in the classrooms, on special projects, or by driving for field trips.

Tonight after my daughter's weekly two hour dance class (Portland Public Schools cut back the P.E. program this year, so this is a must), she typed a paper, created a diagramed poster on the destruction of the ozone layer explaining the process, read a chapter for social studies and did an assignment based on that reading, worked on a few math problems, read for half an hour and fell asleep. This is all after being in school for nearly seven hours.

Just for fun I decided to add up the number of hours that go into school and homework per week. Here’s what I came up with:

30 hours in school per week (5 days)
4 hours Math homework (1 hour, M-Th)
4 hours Language Arts homework (1 hour, M-Th)
4 hours Social Studies homework (1 hour, M-Th)
4.5 hours Science homework (1-1 1/2 hours, S, T, Th)

That's a total of 46.5 hours a week!

When there are large projects going on, the number of homework hours will, of course, increase.

Her teachers claim they’re preparing them for high school. But that's next year. This is 8th grade!

I would love to hear from other parents. How does your child’s workload compare?

I gotta go sharpen some more pencils now...

Galapagos Expedition | Day 10

2010-09-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Cloudy skies and our last day arrived at the same time. This morning, the consensus of moods on the Daphne was gloomy. Thoughts of spending the day stuffed into airplanes, dealing with airlines, and crowded airports, was less than appealing.

We boarded the panga, and waved farewell to the Daphne crew.

I really wanted to bring this guy home with us! We could continue to receive delicious treats each time we came home, clean sheets and towels folded into animal shapes each night. He was also just a lot of fun to be around.

Luis grabbed a lifejacket and hopped aboard the panga for our return. And he carried our bags for us. What a guy!

Adiós Luis! Adiós Charlie! We’ll miss you.

Our first delay came at the Baltra airport. We were bumped onto the next flight.

We arrived back in Quito at around 6pm, just as the sun was setting.

Several people in our group were feeling a bit under the weather. A bowl of warm quinoa soup in the hotel restaurant and an early night to bed helped immensely.

Another early morning wake up. 3am, cram into a taxi with all our luggage. And you’ve already heard the rest of the story here.

The only things that made the day tolerable were thoughts of a soft, large bed and this sweet little face waiting at home...

Thank you so much for coming along on our journey through the Galapagos.

I’m glad you’re here!

Adiós.

Galapagos Expedition | Day 9

2010-09-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Isabela Island: Sierra Negra and Puerto Villamil

Today we go eight miles on horseback to the edge of the crater of the volcano Sierra Negra on Isabela Island. This is the second-largest volcano on earth.

Sierra Negra (Spanish for Black Mountain) is a large shield volcano at the South eastern end of Isabela Island that rises to an altitude of 1124m (3688 feet). It is one of the most active of the Galapagos volcanoes with the most recent historic eruption in October 2005.

Okay, so I'm a pretty experienced rider. I’ve ridden horses since around the age of ten. I’ve been thrown off horses while riding bareback, even had a few lessons through the years. But these horses were a challenge! They had obviously been trained by Spanish speaking riders and taught not to listen to anyone but those Spanish speaking cowboys who traveled behind us. The trails were narrow and we were often teetering on the edge of volcanic cliffs. The horses all had their own ideas about where in the line they needed to be and would charge at each other whenever the Spanish speaking cowboys did a kissy sound, which they of course did frequently.

The weather was cool and foggy with a light mist falling as we headed up the trail.

This was Iz’s first experience riding without someone leading her. She looks like a pro.

My husband on a horse? Now that’s a rare sight!

Once we reached the other side, the weather cleared. It was downright hot for our two mile hike on foot up to the summit of Sierra Negra.

Iz still looks fresh as a daisy after a long ride up...

The weather had again returned to misty on the return trip.

For some reason my horse insisted on being behind all the other horses all the way back. I was in a cloud of dust.

Mist + dust = ...

Notice the dead pig draped over the horse in the background. That’s not my horse. Some cowboys had just shot a wild pig nearby and I just happen to be passing by it on my way to the restroom when Michael took this picture.

The restroom didn’t have any paper towels, so I did the best I could with cold water splashed on my face.

Looking a bit like I just finished working in the coal mines, we headed to town for cervezas.

Puerto Villamil

Puerto Villamil is a small port village located on the southeastern edge of Isabela. Of the 2,200 people who live on Isabela, the majority live in Puerto Villamil. Residents of Puerto Villamil have earned a living either through agriculture or fishing, but over the years the government has made moves to move the population away from fishing and into tourist-based activities.

This place was closed, but what an awesome spot to spend an afternoon...

They even have a sand floor...

Galapagos Expedition | Day 8

2010-09-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Fernandina Island

For our early morning hike, the panga driver dropped us off on a shore covered in black lava rock. When these rocks are wet with sea water, as they were on this morning, they’re as slippery as a bar of soap, making walking on them very treacherous. You really don’t want to fall here. The rocks are very sharp. Good balance is important as we gingerly creep along, stepping on the rougher, jagged points of the rocks to gain a bit of traction.

Along with good balance, good eyesight is just as important. Marine iguanas, who’s color matches perfectly with the dark rocks, cover the surfaces. These camouflaged creatures can easily go unnoticed. Sometimes what alerts you first is a sneezing sound they make as they blow the saltwater from their nostrils. These guys do not get out of your way. This is their island and they have no intention of accommodating two legged visitors. As is the case with all animals throughout the Galapagos, the marine iguanas have no fear of humans even though they most likely get their tails stepped on occasionally.

A lava lizard...

I have a confession to make...

after seven days of a fast paced schedule, I took the afternoon off, stayed on the Daphne, reading and napping, and I skipped the afternoon hike.

Ahhhhhhhh!

Galapagos Expedition | Day 7

2010-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Santiago, Bartolomé, Sullivan Bay

Bartolome Island is a volcanic islet in the Galapagos Islands group. It is a volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island. It is one of the younger islands in the Galapagos archipelago. This island, and Sullivan Bay on Santiago island, are named after naturalist and life-long friend of Charles Darwin, Sir Bartholomew James Sullivan, who was a Lieutenant aboard HMS Beagle.

The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green, and glistening black volcanic formations.

An early morning hike on Santiago Island allowed us the pleasure of meeting fur seals, a sea turtle, and a few thousand marine iguanas.

Interesting place to catch a few z’s isn’t it?

Buenos días

Let’s go snorkeling!

This deep water snorkeling, in relatively cold water, was all new to me. The water here is around 65 degrees in August (also known as the dry season in the Galapagos), so a wet suit is essential if you plan on being in the water for any length of time.

Yep, that’s me, I’m swimming with a sea turtle! This was most definitely a huge highlight of the trip for me. This sweetie pie swam with me for about five minutes. He’d pop his head out of the water every once in a while, and when he did, I followed suit. I even held his fin for a bit as we swam along... I am TOTALLY 100% in love!

During the months of June through November, the Humboldt Current makes it way up to the Galapagos from southern South America. Cooler weather and colder water come with this current. Some days the water was too murky to see much, but this day the water was crystal clear.

We also saw sea lions, starfish and lots of fish. And penguins up close and personal on the shore near Pinnacle Rock. Our guide thought the water was “demasiado fría para pingüinos” (too cold for penguins).

Bartolomé

After our afternoon snorkeling fun, we quickly showered off the salt water, jumped into the panga, and headed over to Bartolomé Island where we hiked up 365 steps to the summit for an incredible view. Because we hadn’t had enough exercise for the day.

If you look carefully, you can see where the panga driver let us off and we began the ascent.

They call this 365 steps, but I lost count after about 50 steps, and then it was unclear whether they meant steps or stairs. Either way, it was a long trek uphill.

Galapagos Expedition | Day 6

2010-09-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Genovesa Island: El Barranco – Darwin Bay

Welcome to bird island.

Genovesa, also known as Tower Island (though I’ll always remember it as Bird Island), is quite small but geologically and biologically very interesting. The chemistry of its lavas is identical to lavas that erupt at mid-ocean ridges (a magma type called MORB, or mid-ocean-ridge-basalt) and quite different from most oceanic island lavas.

There are birds everywhere you look here... masked boobies, red-footed boobies, Galapagos owls, frigates, swallow-tailed gulls, lava herons, and the rare lava gulls. Some are in trees on nests, some on the ground. Sometimes there’s a baby sitting all alone on a nest waiting for mom to return with food.

a frigate bird...

I’ll share a funny story about these frigate birds a little later.

Here’s a baby frigate...

and a baby Nazca booby...

This bird is trying out for the part of the villain in a Disney movie...

I think he’ll be perfect.

After a swim in Darwin Bay, we returned to the Daphne. Our guide Charlie told us to change into our best T-shirts for a group photo on the top deck.

When we arrived, the crew was there dressed in their finest...

Luis was preparing to serve champagne...

One of our fellow cruise members was acting a bit giddy, another was dressed in a black dress carrying a book...

It looks to me like John and Kendra are getting married...

And the capitán married them...

and the Mother of the Bride wore orange...

Surprise weddings are the best!

Champagne was served. Inside, dancing and more champagne...

This is the night we learned about what an amazing dancer Luis is!

We also learned how it feels to sleep on a moving boat after too much champagne.

I almost forgot to tell you the frigate bird story. Whenever the Daphne was traveling, these birds followed us, hovering just above the boat. One afternoon a bunch of people were sitting on the top deck chatting and laughing. You’ve probably already figured out where this is going. See the guy above who was the groom in the surprise wedding? Yep, right in his open, laughing mouth! Blech! He said it was really bitter.

Galapagos Expedition | Day 5

2010-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Station, Puerto Ayora, and Santa Cruz Highlands

It’s Giant Tortoise Day.

First stop, the famous Charles Darwin Research Station. The research center helps the National Park Service in their efforts to save Galapagos wildlife. They have a facility that works exclusively to raise tortoises to increase their depleted population.

Their tortoise egg incubator is highly technical...

Behind this door is a very small closet like space housing tortoise eggs. On the outside door is an explanation of how it all works:

“Tortoise embryos are very sensitive to abrupt changes in temperature. The hair dryer heats the incubator while a small fan and barn thermostat keep the temperature constant throughout the double boxes, which serve as insulators. The light bulbs are backup heat sources. In the early years of the program, it could take over a month to get a new hair dryer sent from the mainland.”

A Boy or a Girl? Scientists discovered that the temperature within the incubator determines the sex of the hatchlings. If the temperature is over 30°C the young tend to be female while temperatures below 30°C tend to produce males.

It seems to be working.

We spent a few hours shopping and site seeing in the island town of Puerto Ayora...

After lunch, we traveled by bus into the highlands to visit the Tortoise Reserve where we searched for giant tortoises in their natural surroundings.

Found one...

and another...

There were so many tortoises here that each member of our group of 16 had their very own tortoise to hang out with.

Galapagos giant tortoises lead a very uncomplicated life, grazing on grass, leaves, and cactus, basking in the sun, and napping nearly 16 hours per day. A slow metabolism and large internal stores of water mean they can survive up to a year without eating or drinking. They generally live to be 100+ years old. The oldest on record lived to be 152.

The tortoises on this reserve are not held captive. They come and go as they please.

So much history here. If only they could talk. He looks like he’s trying to tell me something.

It’s so much fun to anthropomorphize here.

Next: we visit Isla Genovesa, or as I call it, Bird Island.

Galapagos Expedition | Day 4

2010-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Floreana Island: Post Office Bay and Point Cormorant

Floreana is a quiet island dotted with several extinct volcanic cones and a lot of scrubby vegetation. On the Daphne I read about the history of the island in Margaret Wittmer’s book, Floreana: A Woman's Pilgrimage to the Galapagos. This is a story by and about one of the first settlers to the island who traveled from her native land of Germany with her husband. They raised their children on Floreana and lived the rest of their lives here. She describes some bizarre characters who lived on Floreana at times making the Wittmer’s pioneer lives even more challenging and interesting.

This is the view from my little reading spot on the Daphne...

Hiking on Floreana...

Post Office Bay

This is one of the few sites in the Galapagos that is visited for its human history. There’s a very primitive post office here like no other post office I’ve ever seen. It’s old mail swap tradition goes all the way back to whaling days.

Whaling Captain James Colnett established the wooden post barrel in 1793. At the time whaling was a big industry, ships were typically gone for 2 years at a time. The Galapagos Islands were a frequent stop for these ships. Outbound ships would drop off letters after rounding the cape and the ships returning home would mail them.

Over the years thousands of ships have stopped to send and receive mail at Post Office Bay. Many have posted a sign of driftwood or other materials memorializing their visit. This is the only area in the Galapagos where graffiti is okay.

To carry on the tradition, letters are brought home with travelers and then mailed or hand delivered to the addressee. You can also leave letters here to see if they get delivered.

At the post barrel, our guide pulled out a handful of letters and passed them around. I found one that was addressed to a neighbor of one of the couples in our group in Germantown, Maryland. What are the chances? They were planning to hand deliver that one. Not many people from our area had been to Post Office Bay lately. We found just one addressed to nearby Corvallis, so we brought that home with us to mail.

Iz found a postcard that looked like it had been here awhile...

I think our busy schedule was catching up with our teen. She looks very sleepy here doesn’t she?

Point Cormorant

This is a beautiful brown sand beach on Floreana Island.

Iz found this shell. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to keep anything from the islands. Bummer!

What are these people doing?

Standing in line to be baptized?

Cooling off from the heat of the 70 degree day?

None of the above.

We’re waiting for the sting rays to swim over our feet.

We planted our feet firmly into the sand (to avoid stepping on any rays) and waited for them to swim in with the current. It was an amazing sensation having these soft creatures brush across my feet. You don’t want to step on one... ouch! They sting!

Galapagos Expedition | Day 3

2010-09-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hood (Española) Island, Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay

One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Located on the western tip of the island, one of the world's densest and most diversified concentrations of wildlife is found at Punta Suarez. The area is famous for its marine iguanas with unique copper-red patches, swallow-tailed gulls, lava lizards, finches, long-billed mockingbirds, blue-footed and masked boobies and oystercatchers.

Doin’ the booby dance...

This booby was protecting her nesting area and would bite at selected members of our group as we walked by.

When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting thirty yards into the air. And boy were the swells heavy the day we visited! I was just wandering down to the water’s edge with the rest of our group when I saw everyone else running toward me yelling something. It was then that I noticed the very high wave coming our way. I ran as far as I could before the wave hit, then I held my camera and lens as high up as possible. The wave was high enough to drench me, but the camera gear stayed dry. Other people in our group did not fair as well. One woman was pushed down onto the rocks by the wave and got pretty cut up. One man was drenched from head to toe along with the camera gear he had on a tripod. Our guide said he’d never seen waves that high in that area before. We later learned of an earthquake in Chile that had taken place the day before. So what we experienced was more or less a tsunami. It was very frightening at the time, and could have been so much worse for us than it was.

On a trail leading to the western tip of the island, we passed the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world's population. I think the albatross babies are so adorable!

Gardner Bay, located on the eastern shore, has an awesome beach frequented by a transient colony of sea lions and is a major nesting site for marine turtles.

This is the life... the sea lion moms lounge on the beach while their babies play in the surf.

A Galapagos Great Blue Heron...

Hangin’ with the sea lion moms...

Thank you for traveling the Galapagos with me! I love the fact that you’re here!!

Drop me a line if you’re still with me.

Gracias!

Galapagos Expedition | Day 2

2010-09-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

South Plazas Island and Santa Fe Island

Meet the Santa Fe land iguana...

A friendly looking guy isn’t he? They always look like they’re smiling at you.

We are on South Plaza Island, the southern partner of two small crescent-shaped islands that lie just a few hundred meters off the east coast of Santa Cruz. The northern island is used for scientific purposes only. No tourists allowed.

South Plaza is one of the smallest yet richest islands in the archipelago. Only 130 meters wide (426 feet), it was formed from uplifted seabed, giving it a titled tabletop quality. Our landing is in the channel between North and South Plaza, where the island tilts toward the water. Santa Fe, also called Barrington Island, is located in the central part of the Galapagos archipelago. It is one of the oldest Galapagos Islands, ages of its lavas range from 750,000 to nearly 3 million years. Santa Fe is also one of the few islands that is not volcanically active. There is no fresh water on the island so it has been relatively undisturbed by human activity and ferel animals.

Someone must have notified the sea lions ahead of time that we’d be arriving. They were posing for us on the rocks when we got there...

Flexible!

Some were sleeping...

Some were nursing...

Some came right up to greet us...

The Galapagos sea lions have a ton of personality. They have no predators around to interrupt their day. They are just happy, content pinnipeds.

Galapagos Expedition | Day 1

2010-09-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Baltra Island: Bachas Beach.

After an uneventful flight from Quito to Baltra Island, we boarded the Daphne... a 70-foot yacht and our home for the next ten days. Once onboard, we were given our room assignments and an emergency drill. In an emergency, the crew would ring the same bell they rang for meals, island tours and whale sightings. When the first meal bell rang, I wasn’t sure whether to grab my lifejacket, backpack, binoculars, or appetite.

Our first island visit involved getting everyone safely aboard the panga with lifejackets on. This was our first wet landing experience. We had a quick lesson in how to disembark from the panga onto a beach without getting completely soaked (or without soaking our camera gear). With waves lapping at the boat and pushing it onto the beach, this is harder than it sounds.

Sally Lightfoot crabs creep sideways along the lava rocks at the water’s edge on Bachas Beach...

This last image is actually a shed Sally Lightfoot crab exoskeleton. Crabs have an exoskeleton that they shed as they grow. Live Sallys are very brightly colored, but their shed exoskeletons are even brighter.

The light was about perfect when we spotted a group of about 15 flamingoes feeding in the water...

This was a nice, relaxing introduction to the Galapagos Island life.

Iz couldn’t resist taking a dip in the ocean after our tour of Bachas Beach...

Observation of the day... salt water stings when it gets in your eyes.

It doesn’t taste very good either.

frightful flights

2010-09-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

For some of us who haven't traveled internationally since 9/11, this trip was a bit of an eye opener. Even though it looks like my family members couldn't keep theirs open, many parts of our 18 hour travel days were anything but restful. Airline travel is not for the weak. Airline travel is not for anyone with anxiety issues.

Monday morning, August 16 started at 3am when the alarm clock woke us from the 45 minutes of sleep we were finally able to succumb to. Then it was off to the airport for a 6:05 flight to Houston, Texas. We were armed with books, games, iPhones to keep us occupied for a two hour delay in Houston. That quickly turned into four when our flight was delayed. A lightning storm delayed the flight even further. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to make our connecting flight in Panama City, the friendly customer service lady at the Continental counter booked us on a direct flight to Quito, Ecuador, our destination for the next two nights.

Six and a half hours, and many Starbucks lattes later, we were on our way to Quito. We arrived in the Quito airport just before midnight to find that our two checked bags of luggage with all of Michael’s clothes, most of my clothes and all of our toiletries, had not. We filled out paperwork and hoped for the best. The hotel transportation person had given up on us so we had to rely on one of the many taxi services waiting at the door for poor suckers like us. We searched for the most responsible looking driver with a marked vehicle, entrusted him with our bags, and hopped in the cab. I'd heard stories of unlicensed drivers holding up unsuspecting tourists at gunpoint in Quito, so I was anything but comfortable as our driver sped along the dark streets passed closed buildings, running red lights before dropping us safely in front of Hotel Sierra Madre.

Things looked so much better after a good nights’ sleep in this fabulous old hotel. This is the view from our room in the morning...

We had one day to tour Quito before we got on another plane that would take us to The Galapagos. Michael spent this day going back and forth to the airport to try and locate our lost luggage. We made a trip to the SuperMaxi and purchased $120 of toiletries to sustain us in the Galapagos, as well as a trip to the Quito mall for some clothes.

Our two pieces of luggage appeared on the conveyer belt at 11pm that night. Yeah!

Fast forward ten days to our return flight.

After an early morning hike on North Seymour Island, and breakfast on the Daphne, we motored over to Baltra Island where the only airport in the Galapagos is located. We arrived at 10am, in plenty of time to prepare for our flight back to Quito. We even had time to do a little shopping. A two hour delay gave us even more time to shop. We even had time to sit down and have an ice cream bar. If you ever see this ice cream bar, you must have one! Yummy! Their made with naranjilla...creamy and sweet.

By the time we arrived back at Hotel Sierra Madre in Quito, it was dark and we were hungry and tired. After a quick shower and a steaming bowl of quinoa soup (pronounced KEEN-wah or if you prefer, kee-NO-wah) from the hotel restaurant, this weary traveler was ready for bed.

The next morning we were up at 3:15 for an early morning flight to Portland. We stuffed ourselves and all our bags into a small van and arrived in plenty of time for our 6:30 flight. Here is where my intestines decided to wreak havoc sending me to the nearest restroom while Michael paid our exit the country taxes, checked our luggage and picked up our boarding passes. Thank you Honey!

I lost count of how many times we showed our passports, walked through metal detectors and had our carry-ons scanned in our walk to the gate. At the last possible check point before boarding the plane, Michael was informed that one of his checked bags was confiscated by Ecuadorian police. I was taken aside, padded down and security scrutinized every item in my carry-on luggage.

Michael’s name was then called and security escorted him out of the waiting area. Where were they taking him? Iz and I sat waiting. We couldn't leave the area or we would have to be searched again. There’s not even a bathroom here. I had been forced to empty out my water bottle. There’s no water. There’s no food. Would Michael make it back in time for our flight that leaves in 40 minutes? Can we take his carry-on bags with us? Should we leave without him? Would anyone be willing to help us? Does anyone here speak English? I was starting to pace. I was trying not to let Iz know I was worried. My intestines continued to rumble.

20 minutes and much pacing, sweating and rumbling later, I saw my husband’s smiling face appear. Was I hallucinating? He looked relatively calm. He told me they had taken him down to the basement. His luggage and contents were opened on a table and they interviewed him in Spanish before releasing him. They seemed to be concerned about some chains and padlocks he had brought along to secure camera equipment. Beyond those and a lot of dirty laundry, they found nothing that concerned them. They claimed it was a random search. Yikes!

Sweet relief! I collapsed into the airplane seat, ordered a beer and took a nap. I know it was only 6:40am, but my nerves were already shot for the day!

Thanks for flying the friendly skies with me!

Next: We’ll continue our expedition through the amazing Galapagos Islands.

Hasta mañana...

Galapagos Expedition | Overview

2010-08-31T09:01:00.001-07:00

Buenos días! Bienvenidos.

We’ve returned from a fantastic tour of the Galapagos Islands, where the native language is Spanish, the currency is the U.S. dollar, and life moves at a rather slow pace... That is unless you’re on a boat where the activities are carefully organized into the 12 hours of daylight available. Our daily schedule looked something like this:

6:45 breakfast

7:30 panga to nearest island, hike to see... (flightless cormorants, blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, nazca boobies, albatross, sea lions, fur seals, sea turtles, penguins, marine iguanas, galapagos hawks, lava lizards, pink flamingoes, giant tortoises) or any combination of these critters, depending on the island being visited.

10:00 snorkeling. Look for... choices include: rays, sea lions, fish, sharks, penguins, sea turtles, man of war, jelly fish, starfish

12:00 lunch

2:00 panga to nearest island, hike to see... (see above)

4:00 swim or snorkel to see... (see above)

6:30 meeting

7:00 dinner

There were variations of this schedule every day. For instance, some days there would be a late breakfast. Breakfast would then be at 7am. One day breakfast was really late... 8am. On that day there was a hike scheduled for 6:30am.

This is the small boat, called a panga, that we traveled in to nearby islands each day.

For each activity the crew would ring a bell that was located in the dining area. We quickly got to know the “time to eat” bell from the “head out the door” bell, and would salivate like Pavlov’s dogs three times a day.

Our sweet server, Luis, not only served all our meals and snacks, he also made sure our sheets and towels were clean every day. And oh man could he dance! But that’s another story.

The Galapagos Islands are located just off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, on the equator. The sun drops below the horizon at 6pm, and it’s dark by 6:08. The sun pops up promptly at 6am. We were on a 70-foot yacht (the Daphne) which motored to one of nine islands during the 12 hours of darkness. It was best to get yourself into a horizontal position and eyes closed before the boat began moving to avoid losing your dinner. I took a couple dramamine at bedtime, which helped immensely. Some nights when seas were particularly rough, we would hear objects sliding off surfaces, crashing onto the shiny lacquered hardwood floors inside the boat. We quickly learned to tie things down before travel time. Most nights the gentle swaying rocked me to sleep.

Sleeping berths on the Daphne are tiny, but cozy. Bunk beds are built into one wall. The lower bunk is a little wider than the top, so M and I slept in the lower bunk and stashed our gear on the top bunk. There is a small closet on one wall and two drawers under the bunks for storing clothes. Each bedroom has its own small bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. You are not allowed to put any toilet paper into the toilet, that must be placed in a garbage can (this took a while to get used to).

During our morning hike, staff was busy changing sheets in all the cabins and leaving us fresh towels folded into animals or shells on top of the bunks. They always greeted us at the door after each excursion with freshly baked treats and/or fresh fruit and juice. After snorkeling they greeted us with steaming cups of mexican hot chocolate. Yum!

Next up: I’ll tell you about our pre- and post-Galapagos expedition (or how fun it is to fly the friendly skies these days).

Hasta mañana...

ciao

2010-08-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

I am off on a business trip.

We will be working here...

The Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador.

I’ll share a few highlights when we return.

something to keep you awake on long summer afternoons

2010-08-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Do you find yourself wanting to lay down and take a nap in the middle of the afternoon? I say go for it! If you can’t do that, here’s a little something to keep you going.

We’ve really enjoyed these icy-cold coffee drinks this summer. Thank you to Alice at Savory Sweet Life for sharing this recipe with us. These have helped keep us energized through these long summer afternoons.

Things are busy here at PortlandPeeps. Lots going on, lots to tell, no time to tell. I promise you several long posts will occur later this month.

I hope everyone is having a great summer.

Mocha Frappuccino
(Alice’s version of a Starbucks favorite)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of crushed iced
3/4 cup of milk
2-1 ounce shots (2 ounces total) espresso *read below using coffee as a substitute
1 Tablespoon of sugar (more or less depending on preference)
2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup

*optional whipped cream in a can or freshly made and chocolate syrup

*If you don’t have an espresso machine, use 3/4 cup of double strength (strong) coffee mixed with 1/2 cup of milk and increased crushed iced amount by 1/4 cup.

Directions:
Blend all the ingredients except the whipped cream in a blender for 45 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and top off with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate syrup.

This seemed to expand in the blender, and made enough for two.