Sheesh.

Who thought I could be so lazy so as not to post in over a month? Well, I guess that's me. I do have some excuses though: being pregnant, running a marathon, camping in Central-Eastern Oregon, moving, finishing up my previous job, going to Mexico for Adam's 30th birthday (life is tough), moving some more, unpacking the house and putting in a last minute garden in our new place. Did all of that really happen in the last month? Wow. So much for taking it easy when you're with child. 

Anyway, instead of posting on separate topics, I thought I'd just give you a sampling of the last month. Unfortunately, our camera had a minor mishap (Adam dropped it in the ocean) so no pictures from Mexico (Matt and Maggie we're counting on you guys). Here is one at dinner the first night. If any of you didn't hear, Adam was surprised that his brother, sister and brother in law all were in Mexico at the same time we were! Imagine that :) 

No real good pictures from the marathon either - only good news. We finished and did very well, if we do say so ourselves. Finished faster than anticipated! The weather was cool and breezy and we got free shot glasses of beer at Rogue Brewing afterwards. Yes, I sipped mine lightly - no, I did not have more than a few sips. Newport is where the Rogue Nation headquarters are. If you don't know about Rogue beers yet, then you must search and find them out. They are probably the best beers ever. Maybe. My favorite is Hazelnut Brown Ale. Adam likes Mocha Porter. 

Next, came our camping trip in the desert of Central Oregon. I've always wanted to check out the John Day Fossil Beds. It was amazing. The colors of the Painted Hills are out of this world. All of the different layers of color represent a different time period (I can't remember all of the geological stuff, but trust me its cool). The fossil museum showed us all the crazy ancient animals that used to roam the land before they became extinct (oreodonts, creodonts....those kinds of weird things).  We do have a few pictures of those: 

So, now all that's left is to show you some pics of our new pad. 

Hood River, Wider than a Mile, I'm Crossing you in Style....Someday

Okay, so maybe when you hear "Hood River" you don't automatically think of the lyrics to "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is the reference in the post title, but I DO!  The lyrics say, 'crossing you in style someday'. Well, appears as though we will be crossing over to Hood River more like next month. 

Yep, we're on the move.... again. This is the place Adam and I wanted to move to originally when we decided to move north, but the timing with jobs just wasn't right. Well, now that we've got a metaphorical 'bun in the oven', I've decided to make a career change to work with a private pediatric therapy center in downtown Hood River. This job will provide much more flexibility than my current job. And Hood River is just so darn sporty and cool. We will be back up in the mountains again, exploring and soaking up the fresh air. Well, at least until the little one arrives. 

One of the things Hood River is known for is its the "Windsurfing Capital of the US" (well, that and Hawaii). We visited to look at a house today and here's what it looks like on the Columbia River around 2 or 3pm.....

Actually, kiteboarding has taken over as the most popular form of water sport here. Its truly amazing to watch all the bright colors out there on the river. I probably won't be trying my hand at THAT this summer....

We think we have made a decision about where to live. After a slight disappointment today, we feel pretty good about a newer town-home that we've been looking at. The whole -not getting a dog- thing might plague us once again, but there are worse things to happen to people I suppose.  Here are just a few snapshots of the place.

The front of the town-home:

The patio off the master bedroom (sorry its dark):

The kitchen/dining area: 

So, there is a lot more to this place, but I just didn't get many pictures. I also didn't get shots of the complete lack of yard around this place. Oh well, you can't have EVERYTHING :)

Momma's Little Baby Loves Rhubarb, Rhubarb

If any of you listen to Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion", you'll recognize the title of the post. It's a little jingle they sing every now and then. I thought it appropriate for today's post. 

First, let me apologize for not reporting anything for SOOO long! I'm ashamed. We've had a lot on our minds and agendas (and not all blog worthy either). The marathon training has really taken out every last ounce of energy we have too. 

Second, let me get to one of the meanings of the title: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. This is one of the first desserts of spring that we make that is so utterly fantastic, we make at least 3 or 4 before the season is up. We are beginning our first this week. I've got fresh rhubarb and the reddest, juiciest strawberries you've ever seen from the farmer's market.  Behold, the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: 

Now, you may notice (or you may not since most of you haven't been to either residence) that this picture is from our old Jacksonville apartment. This was taken last year. We are planning on making the pie tomorrow because I can barely muster up enough energy to refill my water glass right now. We completed our 21.5 mile training run for the marathon today. It really took its toll on us tonight. So, we're saving it for tomorrow. But I wanted to share it with you tonight, because I'm so excited about it. Here is the recipe: (courtesy of the original Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook)

For the filling: 

-1 c. sugar

-6 tbsp. flour

-2 c. cleaned and cut rhubarb

-2 c. sliced strawberries

-1 tbsp. butter to dot the top

(we use the pilsbury doughs in the refrigerator section, so I won't bother going through a crust recipe. I know, I know - homemade crusts are superior, but I'd just rather do other things right now)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix together the sugar, flour, rhubarb, and strawberries. Place mixture into a pie shell (store bought or homemade). Cover with the top crust. We go for the lattice top, which involves cutting the second crust into strips and layering them on top in a lattice weave. You'll have to play with it, as it would be a nightmare to try and type out how to do that. Or you can just put the whole crust on top (but the lattice top looks prettier and is more fun). Dot the top with little knobs of butter. 

Place in oven for 40-50 minutes, until crust is nicely browned and the juice is bubbly. (note: you may need to cover the top crust for part of the bake time just so it doesn't burn. keep an eye on it!). It is AMAZING. 

Another hidden meaning to our post title is that these two bakers are going to have a little baby! (who will most likely love rhubarb pie). We are so excited and looking forward to this new adventure! 

"Bee-bop a ree-bop, a rhubarb pie"!

Doubletree Ranch

Adam and I have the extreme good fortune of being friends with a couple who owns a gorgeous ranch in Southern OR. We stayed there last night and woke up to the sound of the Rogue River rushing just down the hill from our cabin and the huge pine trees blowing in the gentle wind. I say it everytime I visit, but this place just makes me feel peaceful. This morning, while Adam had some work calls to make, Rick and Carol took me on a hike on part of their property. Here is a photo of Carol and I (courtesy of Rick Ponte) right at "Jumpoff Joe" point. The creek blow the ridge is historically where "Joe" (stepson of John McLoughlin, pioneer in Southern OR and big wig of the Hudson Bay Company back in the 19th century) had to jump in to escape the Rogue Indians who were chasing him. He landed in the creek and got stuck in a log jam where he stayed the night until another fellow trapper found and saved him.

I always learn something new and see something beautiful whenever I spend time with Rick and Carol. If anyone is ever looking for a nice, quiet, refreshing and restful vacation, check out: http://www.doubletree-ranch.com/

Tomorrow Adam and I will run our 16 miler on the Rogue River Trail. Wish us luck! My fear is I'll lose my footing in my exhaustion and fall of a cliff....but that's quite an exaggeration. I'm sure if will be just fine. Hopefully we'll spot some eagles. Love to all!

In Like a Lion....

I'd say that's true of spring up here. How about spring where you are? It actually was quite delightful this evening/late afternoon. Bright sunshine and mid 50's. It hasn't really gotten much warmer than that. I know some of you have experienced 70 and even 80 degree weather, and I will try to not hate you too much :) I'm just a little bitter because we ran our 15 miler yesterday in complete rain and gray skies. Oh well. It had to be done! My fingers and toes were even pruny at the end. 

Spring is starting to peek out in subtle ways though. Behold our beautiful Camillia blossoms. We have three different varieties in our backyard alone. These trees are just gorgeous. The Japanese Gardens in Portland had a festival dedicated to them this weekend. We decided to check out the gardens today and were thoroughly impressed. Whoever comes out to visit next is going there.

Washington Park (where the Japanese Gardens, Zoo, Rose Gardens, World Forestry Center, Children's Museum...are located) is quite a fun-filled area of Portland that any visitor should experience (in spring or summer at least). 

We are making progress on our indoor seeds. The tomatoes, leeks and sunflowers are getting so big. They grow up so fast :) We decided to start our arugula and carrots inside as well just insure no bird thefts. Those are beginning to take off as well. 

Nothing much is new around here. I've been on break last and this coming week, so I've had some down time to flex my domestic muscles. I tried my hand at a "small" tote bag. The pattern in the book did call it a small tote bag, but it became quite miniature once I was finished with it. I used some old fabric scraps I found at goodwill. I like it! While we're on a crafty subject, I'll include a photo of a shawl I knitted a few years ago. I had forgotten about it until I was chilly tonight and realized I had it... its not too bad if I do say so myself. 

Adam and I are headed down to Southern Oregon this week (yes, mom, you can finally ask us about it after wednesday and it will have happened). We hope to reunite with old friends and co-workers. I'm sure you'll hear all about it!  Much love to all and Happy Spring!

Adam thinks Science is Awesome! 

Bloom Where You're Planted.

We started our seedlings a few weeks ago. Hopefully we'll have our own mini farmer's market in our own backyard. We used the Mariano Sport heirloom tomatoes that Adam saved from our favorites this past summer, as well as some sunflowers and some leeks. What you're looking at are the beginnings of our sunflowers. We also planted lettuce, chard and kale outside, but I think there are some thieves living in our yard. Has anybody else begun their spring planting?

More to come....

A Twist on Baking....

I saw a recipe that inspired me to try something new in my bread machine: pretzels. I went back to my German roots today when we decided to go for it. They are surprisingly easy and fun to make. A few steps and a little time, but delicious nonetheless. Behold the pretzel making process:

Divide the dough into equal parts and roll each part into 20 inch ropes. Twist them into cute little pretzel shapes.

Boil the cute pretzel shapes in water with a little baking soda for 45 secs - 1 min.

Brush with egg white wash and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake until they're a deep, dark golden delicious.

Oh man, they are so good. You should really try these....Have a good Fat Tuesday! I know we definitely will :)