Thankful for my Surrogate Family

As I was driving to work this morning I realized what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving. It may sound cheesy, but I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends here in Portland, and even more blessed to have made friends all over this country who will come visit Jeremy and I all the way up here in the tundra (shout out to Maeve, Veronica, Ray, and Laura!).

By far the greatest thing to come from Jeremy and I going to school in NY and then Jeremy's career in the Coast Guard has been the friends we have made all over. I honestly think we could go to any major city in the country and be able to call on one of our friends. THAT is an amazing feeling. Jeremy and I have spent the majority of the last 5+ years away from our families, so to have such amazing people in our lives is something we are truly thankful for. (Brittany--I know if you're reading this right now you're probably rolling your eyes!)

Last night Jeremy and I spent the evening with our good friends/Portland family...Tyler, Lauren, and Dani (Jared you were there in spirit!). On a night with sub-freezing temperatures, it was great to go out for burgers with our friends and then sit around playing Pop-5 and watching Dancing with the Stars. And if anyone is only reading this for the food recommendations, you should try Little Big Burger--122 NW 10th St., Portland.

For everyone reading this...travel safe this weekend and enjoy your Thanksgiving with your families and/or surrogate families! Love you all.

Veronica in the PDX

Oh what a weekend! I don't think I could begin to recall all the various twists and turns this weekend took...but I'll try my best to share the highlights.

Starting things off right, my very lovely and feisty fellow Trojan Veronica came to visit me this weekend in Portland. Flying into PDX Thursday night, the first thing V said when she stepped into the car was, "I can't believe how fresh the air is!". Well if there's one thing Oregon does better than California...it's air. After Jeremy gave V his world famous history of Portland-- including how the city got it's name (a coin toss between being named after Boston, MA and Portland, ME), Lewis and Clark's involvement, and the geographic and demographic breakdowns--we headed to Widmer. A lovely place to start your first night in Portland, even when surrounded by Trailblazer fans.

After a pretzel, some buffalo wings, and a sampling of our favorite carb, we headed to Deschutes for a nice little taste comparison. Finally finishing up with a quick stop at Bridgeport. When we got home Buoy was very happy to see his Aunt Veronica and V was very happy to be out of the cold. :)

Friday morning V and I prepped for our lovely tailgate Saturday. (We should seriously be professionals at tailgate planning). We picked up the BBQ and purchased some hand-warmers and thermals. Then headed out to Multnomah Falls. The falls were beautiful, but I'm fairly certain V was more in awe of the fashion choices many of the tourists had made. Fashion in the Pacific Northwest is always a bit interesting.

On the way back towards Portland we stopped at McMenamin's Edgefield, or as Maeve calls it "Disneyland for adults". Edgefield is one of my favorite spots in Oregon. We were able to wine taste for $5 and V smoked her first cigar...I wish I had thought to get a picture! It is definitely a great location to spend a rainy day, full of fireplaces and cozy corners. Not to mention, the food is delicious. I recommend the Shrimp Wontons and the Beef Stew.

Friday night V, Jeremy, Pete and I headed to Departure. This restaurant/bar on the top of the Nines Hotel is amazing. It feels like you're on a space ship! The food is absolutely amazing. V described it after as Asian tapas, and I think that's a very good description. Definitely recommend this place for great views of the city and amazing food. Off the menu, must-tries include: Pork Springrolls, Shrimp Har Gau, and the Kobe Meatballs.

So Saturday morning, we packed up the car with all our tailgate supplies and made our way down to Corvallis. The tailgate was amazing. I'll leave it at that. The game itself was horrible and I'll probably never go back to OSU, ha!

Sunday was V's final day in PDX...sad! But we finished things off right with a trip to one of the best breakfast spots in town...Besaw's. V had the Prosciutto Scramble and I had the Breakfast Sandwich. Both were delicious. My sandwich consisted of 2 over-easy eggs on a brioche bun with avocado, bacon, tomato, and goat cheese (perfect for us Lactards!). Amazing!

Now it's Monday and I wish V was still here, but on a positive note--this morning she said when she got to work everyone told her she looks very refreshed! As V puts it, "Portland = Oxygen Facial!" That would make a great postcard :)

Here's hoping by tomorrow Portland not only has great oxygen but a few inches of snow too!

Recommended in this post:

McMenamin's Edgefield-- 2126 SW Halsey Street, Troutdale, OR 97060

Multnomah Falls-- 50000 East Historic Columbia River Highway, Corbett, OR 97019
Departure-- 525 SW Morrison St, Portland 97204

Besaw's-- 2301 NW Savier Street, Portland 97210

Thank You

I just want to say thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes yesterday. I would also like to say an especially huge thank you to Jeremy, who sent me the most beautiful flowers at work! :) There's nothing like a fall bouquet on your desk to make work enjoyable!

Two Weeks is Way Too Long

Wow, no excuses...I can't believe I haven't written in two weeks. I am going to do my best to get back "up to speed". I've actually missed writing on this blog everyday!

First I'd like to share with you a nice night out I had the other day. Jeremy's good friend from college, Ray, came out to Portland from Tennessee for a visit. Being a merchant mariner he was the perfect friend to show-off all Portland's wonderful microbreweries to! We decided to take him for samplers at a number of the best breweries in town, and I'd like to share them with you so you can enjoy them too!

One-Night Beer Tour of Portland

First on our list was my personal favorite...Deschutes. Widmer has the best beer, but Deschutes has the most amazing food. If you are going to go here the one thing you MUST order is their pretzel. All of Portland's breweries serve the classic soft pretzel with spicy mustard, but Deschutes' version is almost like a croissant. Served with a cheese dip and mustard, you can't miss this twisted delight. Oh, the beer is pretty good too!

Deschutes - 210 NW 11th St., Portland 97209

Next we went down the street to Bridgeport. Basically it's safe to assume the beer at all of these places is really good. Personally, I think if you're going to navigate the breweries you have to get a sampler at each. That way you can compare each brewery and each beer within their selection...AND it's a cheap night out! Most samplers run for about $6-$8 a piece. Beer of choice at Bridgeport is the Hop Czar...even hoppier than the traditional IPA, be prepared! As for the food, they have great burgers and pizza.

Bridgeport Brewing Company - 1318 NW Marshall St., Portland 97209

After Bridgeport we headed over to New Old Lompoc. I had never been to this bar/brewery, so it was a new experience for me too! The atmosphere was very far from Deschutes and Bridgeport (which are architecturally awesome brewpubs), New Old Lompoc has much more of a "dive bar" feeling. The beer was good, but we also ordered a Hot Apple Cider cocktail...disgusting. On the upside, Tuesday night is trivia night out on their heated patio!

New Old Lompoc - 1616 NW 23rd St., Portland 97210

Fourth on the tour was MacTarnahan's. Okay...new favorite! This place was DELICIOUS! The beer was so refreshing and the atmosphere was great...they even had a fireplace! I especially loved their apricot ale...I can't remember the name but it was amazing. I highly recommend this place for a big group, dinner, or a date. The food is also worth a trip to this Taproom.

MacTarnahan's - 2730 NW 31st Street, Portland 97210

Last but not least, we headed to another new spot...Tugboat Brewing Company. This place takes the prize for unique atmosphere. The bar is all old wood and red booths, surrounded by floor to ceiling bookshelves. Every wall is covered with books. Me being a huge bookworm, loved this place. The ales they brew are all extremely bitter...I mean way too bitter even for Jeremy and Ray. But, they did have the most delicious cider on tap, called Spire Mountain Draft Cider. This cider was so good, it's worth a trip to Tugboat just for a pint.

Tugboat Brewing Co. - 711 SW Ankeny Street, Portland 97205

Thursday's Random Recipe

So first I need to apologize to my millions of blog-reading fans for taking the day off yesterday. I went home sick from work and didn't do much more than curl up on the couch and try to stop Buoy from pestering me. That being said, I will try to make up for it today.

First I'd like to share with you Jeremy's absolute favorite thing I make--a Jalapeno Monterey Jack Quiche. Random right? It's probably the easiest thing in the world to make and it has all of his favorite things in it...so needless to say it's an instant pleaser. I've made this recipe a dozen times or so, and over the past couple of years I've baked it with some variations which I'll share with you.

I can honestly say this has become my own recipe. It originated from a recipe in Country Magazine, but it has long since evolved into something that I can call my own.

Recipe of the Day--Jalapeno Monterey Jack Quiche

Ingredients:
1 9-in pie crust*
1 small jar of sliced jalapenos, drained
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (I use 1 cup Pepper Jack and 1 cup Monterey Jack)
4 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (if desired)
fresh cilantro for garnish

*For the crust...I began by using frozen Marie Calendar's crusts, but one time I made the mistake of baking a homemade crust...and now I can't get away with the frozen ones. Pie crusts are very easy to make and I'll include a recipe after the instructions.

Instructions:

1. First you need to either make your pie crust or get out the frozen one. Drain the jalapenos and press them all along the bottom and sides of the pie crust. Be careful! I've put too many and it will make this a very spicy dish...it's up to you how spicy you want this to turn out.
2. Grate the cheese and spread over the bottom of the pie crust. Press down gently.
3. If you would like to add bacon (an experiment I tried that turned out delicious) add the crumbled bacon on top of the cheese.
4. Next whisk together your eggs, half and half, salt and pepper. The original recipe didn't call for the half and half, but it makes the quiche a million times better. Trust me!
5. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cheese.
6. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. You just want to check to make sure the egg is cooked throughout before taking the quiche out of the oven. Use a fork or knife to test, it should come out clean.
7. Add the chopped parsley if you so desire and serve!

This recipe is perfect for almost any occasion--dinner, a picnic lunch, pot-luck, or even breakfast. There are a million quiche recipes out there, but for anyone who likes spicy food this one is perfect.

Quiche Crust Recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Sift the flour with the salt.
2. Cut in the shortening using two knives. The pieces should be the size of peas.
3. Add the water and then mix with a fork.
4. When it all gathers together, leaving the bowl clean...you can chill the dough in the fridge or roll it right out. I actually just press the dough with my hands into the pie dish!

I hope you guys will try this recipe out. A lot of people are skeptical of quiche, but it is so easy and it's really just an omelet in a pie crust!

Expect another entry this afternoon. I'll be writing about one of my favorite barbecue spots in Portland :)

Cooking the Cowboy Way

A few months ago I was perusing Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, when I stumbled upon the best cookbook I've ever seen. It's called Cooking the Cowboy Way. For those of you who know me you probably understand why I had to have it. I love to cook and I LOVE ANYTHING COUNTRY. This book was created for me.

I definitely haven't tried as many of the recipes as I would of liked to by now, but I am going to share with you one that Jeremy and I love. It's a beef brisket recipe that was originally intended to be roasted, but I've modified it by making it crock-pot friendly. This cuts down on the amount of time you are actively cooking this meal to about 20 minutes!

King Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 (4 pound) brisket
64 oz. beef stock

Instructions:
1. Mix together in a small bowl all of the dry ingredients.
2. Cover the brisket on both sides with the dry rub.
3. Place the brisket in the crock pot and add enough beef stock to just cover the top of the brisket. (Don't worry if the spices come off the brisket, the flavor will still be cook into the meat.)
4. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

See how easy that is? I put the rub together and set the crock-pot going before I left for work. It took about 20 minutes, start to finish, and now when I get home there will be a delicious dinner waiting for me!

Let me know how you like this recipe if you try it!

A Weekend in Bellingham

Good morning November! It's officially my favorite month of the year :) To start things off right, I will be sharing with you all the great weekend I had up in Bellingham, Washington. Hopefully it will inspire you to take a little drive up North!

As most of you know, my sister is a sophomore at Western Washington University, located in beautiful Bellingham. As you may also know, my parents recently retired and moved to the same town. Bellingham is about 90 minutes north of Seattle, an hour south of Vancouver, B.C. By the time you get up there, you see as many British Columbia license plates as you do Washington state. I've visited this gem of a town about 5 times and each time I find new things to do and explore. Bellingham is one of those places you can only experience in the Northwest. From downtown you can be hiking in the mountains, visiting the San Juan Islands, skiing on Mt. Baker, or shopping in the historic Fairhaven district all in less than 30 minutes.

On Saturday morning Jeremy and I packed up the car with an extra set of clothes, Jeremy's guitar, and Buoy. It was pouring rain all the way through Seattle, but by the time we got to Bellingham the sun was actually out! We stopped at Britt's apartment first and picked her up for lunch. The three of us (and Buoy) drove down the hill to Fairhaven. What an adorable spot! I've included a couple pictures so you can get the idea. All old brick buildings, bookstores, tea shops, cafes, and art galleries...Fairhaven seriously looks like it belongs in some little English or Irish town. We ate lunch at the Colophon Cafe, an adorable little spot where we were able to sit out on the patio. It is on the bottom floor of the bookstore and faces the Farmers Market. This is the spot for delicious soup, quiche, sandwiches, and hot apple cider!

After lunch Jeremy and I headed up the mountain to my parents' house, where we explored a bit and then headed down to Lake Whatcom for a hike. The lake is huge and surrounded by beautiful homes. With the autumn leaves covering the trail it was the perfect afternoon activity! Buoy loved it as well because he knows Lake Whatcom means lots of time to swim.

Saturday night ended with watching the USC v. Oregon football game (I don't want to talk about it), and beef stew my Mom always makes on Halloween.

Sunday morning before we left town, my family all got together for breakfast at Avenue Bakery. The bread here is delicious and they use incredibly fresh eggs and bacon. I definitely recommend this spot. Although, if you're only in Bellingham for the weekend Diamond Jim's is the spot for a classic diner breakfast.

I could make a number of great recommendations to anyone visiting Bellingham, but I'll spare you a million details. Just go! It's a great town with great food and unbeatable outdoor adventures. Not to mention, you always have a place to stay!