The Return of Fall

Darling 'Butters,

I've decided that's what I'll call anyone who reads the 'Butt. Appropriately endearing, no?

It's been way too long since I last blogged, but without ever really making a conscious decision, I took the summer off. Before this summer, I didn't know it was possible to be busier than I was in college or grad school, but I definitely learned how wrong I was over the past 3 months. That being said, even though September looks like it will be just as crazy, I felt a shift when I woke up this morning. My body could feel the first changes of autumn...the cold air (50 degrees!) outside, the darkness out the window even at 6:15, and the return of Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. That last one is a particular favorite of mine! :)

As many of you know, in Oregon we have to make the absolute most of the few precious weeks of sunshine we are gifted. And let me tell you, we did. I don't think I could possibly recap all of the adventures I've experienced since the start of June, but I will do my best to fill you in.

June

June was still filled with plenty of rain and gray days, but it was also filled with excitement. One of my best friends, Dani, married our other good friend Jared. What an exciting month! Beginning with a bridal shower in Seaside, then a bachelorette party in Catalina, and finally a beautiful wedding in Portland...June was filled with celebrating.

I also had the chance to see my parents a couple of times, celebrate my mom's birthday with a Randy Travis concert, and play lots of softball. Playing is not to be confused with winning, unfortunately.

July

July kicked off with my darling Vassar friend Maya coming out for a visit. Read all about it here. We had an amazing time and I can't tell you how hard it is to believe we've been friends now for 6 years!

In July I also discovered the beauty of Forest Park, a Portland gem filled with miles and miles of trails. Buoy and I spent many hours exploring the trails. Dani and I also shared an adventure when we went to the Highland Games, find out all about that trip here. The adventuring continued with a trip to Bellingham, a weekend in Kennewick, Washington for the Columbia Cup Races, and the discovery of a new favorite blog cupcakesandcashmere.com.

August

Here's where things got crazy. The first weekend of August was spent at Salishan for my work's summer convention. Jeremy and Buoy joined me, and as a thank you/birthday present for Jeremy I put together a little surprise on the way home. We drove up to Netarts Bay, OR where I had reserved a boat so Jeremy and I could go crabbing. It was one of the most fun things we've ever done together.

As you can see Jeremy and I did fairly well for beginners! We came home with 20 Dungeness crabs...

...which we shared immediately with our friends Matt and Carrie. (P.S. They got engaged the day before so it was a great occasion for celebrating!)

The following week we celebrated Jeremy's birthday at the new Trader Vic's restaurant in town. I recommend going there for drinks, the cocktail menu is insane!

August continued with the highly anticipated arrival of my college roommate Katie. Darling Katie lives all the way in Buffalo, NY, the Northwest was a new experience for her and I couldn't wait to share with her all that the NW has to offer.

In true Allison/Katie style we jam-packed every second of her visit. From the minute she landed, when we headed to Secret Society Lounge for drinks, to the second she left when we had Podnah's Pit for dinner, we had a blast. There was a hike at Multnomah Falls, a brewery tour, a 3 day camping trip on the Olympic Peninsula, a visit to Seattle, and dinner high atop a skyscraper downtown at Portland City Grill.

Here are a few highlights:

We successful pitched our tent two nights in a row. This is Katie showing us who's boss at a campground in Lake Quinault, WA.

We hiked to beaches along the Washington coast.

Visited the Hoh Rainforest.

Stopped at Lake Crescent and hiked to Marymere Falls.

And climbed high above the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

What a trip right? I think Katie definitely experienced so much of the Pacific Northwest.

August was an incredible month. It ended with a trip up to Bellingham last weekend. Bellingham is always a lot of fun, but this time Dani and Jared decided to join us. We had the best time.

We hiked, we swam, we kayaked.

We also drank a few too many margaritas! But hey, that's what life is all about.

The best part...our new family nickname...

meet the Schaabinots.

That is all. I hope you enjoyed the summer recap. Now that it's wrapping up I promise to be back in full blogging fashion. And you better be excited, because something tells me September will be just as adventurous!

Pretending to be Scottish

Anyone who knows me and/or anyone who frequents "The Butt" (aka The Scuttlebutt)...

has probably figured out by now I like to go really random places.

I'm a nerd at heart, I love exploring, and I have a strange appreciation for people who like to "go all out".

What does that mean?

Well, you know the types...

these are the people who spend their weekends taking part in Civil War reenactments,

or go to the Renaissance Faire in full costume,

or recreate Colonial Williamsburg.

I'm not sure what I love about these things. Maybe it's just I appreciate the attention to detail.

And since I love reading historical fiction, some of the time it gives me a chance to pseudo-experience the books/time periods I've read all about.

Take for example this weekend.

Dani (a former Civil War reenactor) and I decided to head out to Gresham, OR for the annual Highland Games.

A giant, all-day Scottish Festival...featuring men in kilts, lots of plaid, bagpipes, and bangers and mash.

We had an absolute amazing time, and for anyone who has read the Outlander series (if you haven't you should)...clans Frasier and MacKenzie were out in full force.

I spent the festival scoping out the crowd for potential Jamie Frasiers.

I highly recommend visiting the Highland Games in your area.

Look it up. I promise you have one.

The dancing, music, food and atmosphere makes for an awesome day.

The man in the kilt who made our necklaces.(Don't mind my crazy hair!)

And if you happen to be lucky enough to have a friend who appreciates this kind of thing as much as Dani did, consider yourself lucky and get out there!

That's right...bff necklaces...we're that cool.

Where will your next adventure be?

Dear Summer,

I'm obsessed.

Please don't ever leave.

I don't care that we only get a few days of sunshine at a time, I'll take what I can get.

I savor every second of your warmth and endless days.

The long winter is a distant memory.

Everyday is filled with hikes, meals on the balcony overlooking the river, late nights, and barbecues.

Not to mention the s'mores

It's funny, summer.

As a child I never appreciated you. California sunshine overflowed year-round.

Honestly, I didn't really notice you.

But now everything has changed.

One 9 month winter in Portland and I finally have learned to appreciate you.

I feel like I need to get in all of my summer loving that I never did as a child.

So please don't leave.

At least not for a few more weeks.

I promise not to take you for granted.

Love,

Allison

Dear blog readers,

I'm sorry I've been gone so long.

I haven't found time for anything lately besides work and enjoying summer.

There has been precious time with an old friend.

Hikes.

Gorgeous views.

A beautiful wedding.

Wine tasting in the Oregon countryside.

A rodeo.

Enjoying Portland's many microbrews.

And plain old summertime.

I promise I will be back, but for now it may not be as soon as we all would like.

I'm just too busy enjoying my new found love of summer!

summertime.

Hello again!

I'm so sorry I haven't been blogging as regularly as I should.

Summer has arrived (thank goodness!) and we've been busy spending time on our balcony, playing softball, and seeing our family and friends.

This past weekend I had the chance to see Randy Travis in concert. My Mama and I headed over to the Emerald Queen Casino near Tacoma, and celebrated her birthday with a girls' night.

It was a blast and Randy's still got it!

This week is full of adventures.

One of my best friends in the whole world is flying all the way to Portland from New York for a visit. Maya and I met freshman year of college when we both joined the swim team.

Here is a tribute to our friendship.

From it's very beginning...

...until now...almost 6 years after we met!
We will definitely need to take some new pictures while Maya is here...we look approximately 15 in all of these.

Oh college, I miss you!
I can't wait to show her (and share with all of you!) everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Maya and I have been shooting emails back and forth with ideas for her trip and so far it looks like we will be doing a bit of hiking, heading out to the St. Paul rodeo, and eating and drinking our way through all of Portland's amazing restaurants and breweries.

If anyone has any Portland must do's leave me a comment!

With all the craziness the past couple of weeks I've had less time to share with you what I've been doing in the kitchen. The past week it seemed like we had friends over every night for dinner and there's just something a little odd about pulling out the camera and taking pictures of your guest's dinner before they're allowed to eat it.

But I promise I'll try to make it up to you with some great recipes this week!

Last night Jeremy and I had Chicken Pot Pie.

Not your typical chicken pot pie, but a delicious version I discovered on Joy the Baker.

This one was made in a long casserole dish and had homemade chive biscuits on top.

I've never had pot pie quite like this one and it turned out to be worth the time/effort...

Jeremy said it was Top 5 meals I've ever made material!

Chicken Pot Pie with Chive Biscuits
Inspired by Joy the Baker

What you'll need:

Biscuits--

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

4 ounces (half of a brick) cream cheese, cold

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

Filling--

4 T unsalted butter

1/2 C all-purpose flour

2 C low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 C whole milk

4 ounces (half of a brick) cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

the juice from 1 lemon

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

3 C shredded chicken meat (from a rotisserie chicken)

2 T butter

1 small onion, diced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cup thinly diced carrots

1 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

What you'll need to do:

Biscuits first.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, black pepper, and chopped chives.

Add butter and cream cheese to the dry ingredients.  Use your fingers to combine butter, cheese, and flour. You want to keep mixing it together with your fingers until you have small pieces (pebble size or smaller).

Make a small well in the center of the dough and add the buttermilk.  

Using a fork, combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Dump the shaggy biscuit dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead together until dough forms a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Use a round, 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut biscuits (or use a 1/4 C measuring cup like I did). 

Place biscuits on a small cookie sheet and place in the fridge until ready to bake.

Now for the filling. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Dice onion, garlic, carrots, and thaw the frozen peas.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour.  (Mixture will be very thick.)  Heat for 1 minute.  Turn flame to low and add the chicken stock.  Whisk until no flour bits remain.  Whisk in the milk and add the cream cheese.  Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until cream cheese has melted.  

Add chicken, lemon, and nutmeg.  Stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Remove mixture from heat and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add minced garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add carrots and peas.  Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vegetable mixture to the creamy chicken mixture.  Stir to combine.

Spoon filling into a 9×13-inch pan.  Remove the biscuits from the fridge and place them on top of the filling.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream, buttermilk, or egg wash.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and golden, and the sides of the pot pie are bubbling.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Summer to Portland

What a weekend!

Temperatures in the 80's,
amazing sunny skies,

and lots of summer fun.

Here's a little recap of the weekend, in highlight form.

Friday

Friday means softball. Our team, Prestige Worldwide, took on the David Douglas Day Care team.
Sounds intimidating, right?

We played like champs though and did our absolute best to defeat our opponents.

Unfortunately we lost both games and I took a ball to the jaw and chipped my tooth.

Awesome.

I'll be calling the dentist now.

Saturday

Saturday was spent enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

After waking up and watching the world go by with Buoy on our patio, I went over to the gym and squeezed in a spin class before Jeremy woke up.

When I got out of spin I saw I had an email from Foodbuzz.com congratulating me for making their Top 9!

Check it out by clicking here.

I was so excited! My recipe was in the top 9 out of thousands of entries!
Guess everybody loves fish tacos this time of year :)

Later in the afternoon, Jeremy, Buoy and I met up with our friend Matt and his adorable pup for lunch at the Lucky Labrador. Definitely a perfect spot on a sunny day.

Food, drinks, and dog-friendly!

Sunday

Sunday was spent helping Dani prepare for her wedding by doing a bit of shopping at Ikea. Then destressing by heading over to the City Fair and riding the carnival rides until we all felt like throwing up.

Matt and his girlfriend Carrie met up with us for dinner and then we headed back over to the fair. It ended up being an amazing day/night. Too bad it was a Sunday, makes for a tough Monday morning!

I hope all of you had an amazing weekend too! I will be updating sporadically over the next couple of weeks. Dani and Jared are getting married and I'm lucky enough to be involved in a lot of the pre-wedding excitement. Starting with the bachelorette party this weekend!

See you all back here tomorrow! xoxo

Time to get back on track...

I don't know about you, but Memorial Day weekend always seems to mean hamburgers. Even with the weather being pretty lousy this past weekend, Jeremy and I managed to squeeze in some mini adventures and lots of yummy food.

Saturday we took a little trip out to Sauvie Island. Located just a few minutes outside of Portland, this little island is full of farm land. In the fall Portlanders head out there for corn mazes and hay rides...this time of year we enjoy lots of farm produce stands and the pretty little beaches. I definitely recommend taking the drive out there if you want a very close escape from the city.

I also had the chance to try out and play around with a new Challah recipe. I highly recommend it and with all the leftovers you can make amazing french toast for breakfast the next day!

Challah
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 C honey
1 TBL plus 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C olive oil or vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 TBL salt
7 1/2 - 8 C unbleached white flour (or all-purpose)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 TBL sugar in 1 and 3/4 C warm water.

2. Whisk oil and honey into yeast. Then beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour and mix together. When the dough holds together you've added enough flour and it's ready to knead. I did all of this in my stand mixer which helps a lot, but I still kneaded the dough after it was mixed by hand to make sure it was nice and smooth.

3. Put in a greased bowl and cover with a damp dish towel. Place in the oven to let rise. I turn on the oven light to make the oven a bit warmer. You can also turn on the oven to 150 degrees and then turn it off. Let rise for 1 hour, then punch the dough down and let rise for 30 more minutes.

4. Take your dough and divide it in half. Braid each loaf. I did a traditional 3 part braid. For each loaf you will need to divide the dough into three balls and roll out into 12 inch strands. Pinch together the three pieces at one end and then proceed to braid. After braided put the dough in the fridge and let rise for another 3 hours. If you're in a rush you can put the dough in a warm spot (the oven) for another hour.

5. Whisk the remaining egg and paint onto the loaves. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies. Challah is supposed to have that nice thick golden crust.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Make sure the loaves are a dark golden brown before removing from the oven. Let cool for 30 minutes, slice and serve!

 So that was Saturday in a nut shell! 

Sunday we embarked on another adventure. As a kid my family would always take our summer vacations in the Northwest. Driving, camping, and hiking our way through the state and national parks that spread throughout Oregon and Washington. One of my favorites was Mt. St. Helens.

 The mountain and surrounding forest is incredible to see, but what makes Mt. St. Helens so unique is its recent history. The volcano erupted in 1980...taking out almost 250 square miles of forest and spewing ash that covered cars all the way in Southern California.

Jeremy had never seen the volcano so we decided to head up there. In shorts and sandals we took off, but as we climbed the mountain we began to realize we had definitely miscalculated. Starting around 2,000 feet elevation the fog was so dense you couldn't see 50 feet in front of you. Not to mention the 3 feet of snow that still covered the ground.

Unfortunately we couldn't even see the mountain that was right in front of us. I guess that means we will have to go back if summer ever comes to Portland!

Monday, on our last precious day of the holiday weekend, we headed up to Angels' Rest with our neighbors Matt and Carrie. As soon as I get the pictures from Carrie I will add them to this entry. It turned out to be the most perfect day! Sunny and beautiful, when we reached the top of the hike we had a panoramic view of the entire Columbia River Gorge. I highly recommend this hike!

All in all it was an amazing weekend. Only problem...we stuffed ourselves so full of food that Jeremy and I have had to hit the reset button on our healthy eating this week. I have lots of veggie-packed meals planned for the coming days, starting with our meal last night inspired by my favorite blog The Little Red House.

Here's the recipe for these delicious Chili and Lime Bowls. You must try these...best part is you get to build them yourself! Makes you feel like you're 5 years old, but who doesn't like playing with their food?

Chili and Lime Bowls
Recipe from The Little Red House

Ingredients:

1 TBL soy sauce

1 TBL lime juice

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano (or fresh if you have it)

1 tsp olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 cup edamame

1 avocado, diced

1 head of cabbage, leaves washed and removed

1/4 cup sliced green onions

lime wedges

Directions:

1. Put together your Yogurt Lime Dressing. Mix 1/2 C plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1 TBS chopped chives. Whisk in 1/4 C olive oil until combined.

Put in fridge until ready to use.

2. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano and olive oil. Toss with sweet potatoes and then roast in oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes.

3. Put all your veggies out and then build your own lettuce bowls! Place the green onions on top, add the fresh lime, and drizzle on some of the dressing!

This was a delicious meal and ended up being surprisingly filling! I recommend using The Little Red House if you ever are looking for some healthy recipes full of yummy fresh ingredients. Thank you Sheena for a great dinner idea!

Stay tuned...tomorrow I'll be back to fill you in on Taco night.

Jeremy returns to Portland...and brings the rain with him!

Happy Wednesday!

Dear friends and family,

I'm writing to report that the rain has returned to Portland. The beautiful sunshine that has blessed us on and off for the past few days has disappeared.

{The blanket of grey has returned}

I'm going to try really hard not to dwell on the weather, but let me tell you that's easier said than done!

Instead, let me share with you a little Portland gem Jeremy and I experienced yesterday afternoon.

After hearing the name dropped here and there. Driving by once or twice. We just had to stop by.

Welcome to Dockside.
The very shack-like bar and restaurant just a mile up the road from our home.
The food is delicious. Dive bar atmosphere.
Wonderful staff and just about the most non-Portlandy place we've ever been inside the City limits.

And if you need more convincing you should try this place...two words...

Taco Tuesday.
$1.50

gets you three whole tacos!

Heaven does exist. And just because it's a cool story. Dockside's claim to fame...

the incriminating handwritten note Tonya Harding wrote detailing Nancy Kerrigan's practice schedule was found in the garbage outside Dockside.

Who knew?

I'll also share with you a photo of the delicious lunch I packed for Jeremy and me this morning.

Yummy right?

Inspired by the Little Red House, I toasted up some fresh bread (drizzled with garlic olive oil). Added some fresh tomato, basil, sprouts, and mozzarella.

Then add a few drops of balsamic vinaigrette and you're all set!

Is 9:30 too early to eat lunch?

Adventuring

This was a weekend full of adventuring. If that's not a legitimate word, it should be.
Saturday morning began when I rediscovered Portland's amazing Farmers' Market. I've been wanting to experiment with various greens, so I figured I'd pick out some fresh options and then test them out for dinner Saturday.

I went home with
kale,
collard greens,
mustard greens,
and Swiss chard...

...along with these peonies and some fresh mint, asparagus, and rhubarb.

I might have gone overboard,
just a little bit!

After the farmers' market I went hiking with a friend in Forest Park. I will fill you all in on this Portland gem tomorrow or Wednesday.
When I came home from the hike it was time to start experimenting with all of these fun new ingredients.

Let's start with the kale.

Baked Kale Chips
Inspiration from The Little Red House

Ingredients:

one bunch of kale, washed, dried, and torn or chopped into 3 inch pieces

lemon zest and a little bit of lemon juice if you'd like

1 T olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Toss your kale in a bowl with the other ingredients. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins at 250 degrees. (Light and crispy is the goal, no soggy pieces!)

I ran a little experiment by putting a bowl full of these next to Jeremy while he was working on an assignment.

He devoured them and then asked for more!

Looks like I'll be buying kale from now on.

A few hours later it was dinner time. Here comes experiment #2.

I found a recipe via foodgawker.com for Collards, Bacon, White Beans and Quinoa.

A pretty safe rule of thumb...anything with bacon will be good.

Collards, Bacon, White Beans and Quinoa
Inspired by Vita Nostra

Ingredients:

6 slices maple bacon

1 yellow onion, diced

1 and 1/4 C low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

2 T granulated sugar

1 bunch of collards, remove stems and coarsely chopped

1 can Northern White Beans, drained

1 C quinoa

2 C low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel.

Saute the onions in the bacon grease until translucent. Add 1 and 1/4 C chicken broth, vinegar, and sugar. Stir over low-med heat to dissolve sugar.

Add the collard greens and stir until slightly wilted. Add bacon. Reduce heat so the mixture is just simmering and then let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes.

Add the beans and simmer another 30 minutes. The goal is for most of the liquid to cook out.

In a separate sauce pan, boil 2 C broth and then add the quinoa. Stir. Cook for 20 minutes, until liquid has mostly disappeared. Quinoa will absorb all the broth.

Serve quinoa in a bowl and add the collard/bacon/bean mixture on top.

Delicious!

Another major kitchen success using interesting ingredients.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I will fill you in on my trip to Seattle Sunday to see my Momma and little sister. I will also be experimenting tonight with the chard, so if that goes well I'll be sure to share.

Happy Monday!

Just Thought I'd Share...

It's FRIDAY!
I know you all are as excited as I am. Friday means all sorts of fun things for me, including casual work attire (jeans!), Friday night softball, and Shabbot (read: family) dinner!

Tonight Jeremy and I have our first softball game of the Co-ed Portland Softball season. It will be my official debut.

I
am
terrified.

I'm a swimmer. I've never done any sport in my life that involved coordination, balls, or land. This could be dangerous/hilarious for any spectators.
All I'm hoping is I hit the ball.
Even once and I'll be happy!

The other newsworthy information I have to share with you are two important fabulous finds.

Important Fabulous Find #1:

Cha
NW 21st and Everett
Downtown Portland

At the recommendation of our friend Andrea a large group of our friends heading to Cha last night to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It was the perfect spot. The place was packed, the margaritas were delicious, and the food was top notch. I had the Mahi Mahi and Prawn Tacos...and honestly those tacos were full of the freshest seafood and most amazing mango salsa I could of imagined.
Go. Eat there. Now.

Important Fabulous Find #2:

Me Too 'Princess' Espadrilles
$58.90

I've been in the market for a pair of basic espadrilles for summer. A pair that I can wear to work or out for fun. Not too high, not too low, and preferably comfortable. Me Too designs some adorable shoes that are also work-wearable (read: comfy enough to walk around in for 8 hours). I spotted these (Me Too 'Princess' Espadrilles) on Nordstrom.com but was hesitant to buy them...until a couple days ago when they went on sale! So order yourself a pair before they're all sold out!!

Royal Wedding Detox

Okay I'm forcing myself to take a mini-break from 24/7 Royal Wedding news. I'm seriously an addict who needs help. Thank God the wedding is tonight/tomorrow, because I don't think Jeremy or my brain can take much more of this. For a little girl who grew up loving **princess** stories and still believes in fairy tales...the Royal Wedding is a dream come true, living proof that Cinderella fantasies can come true in the real world. I will be glued to my television tonight and I hope you will too!

Enough about that. Keeping with the UK theme I'd like to make a Portland recommendation. If you haven't been to Kell's Irish Pub in Old Town, you need to go, right now. Live music, great atmosphere, delicious Irish pub fare, and a cigar bar. You might be thinking, why would a girl care about a cigar bar? But let me tell you....you need to try it! Lauren, Tyler, Jeremy and I went a couple weeks back. It ended up being one of the best nights out I've had in months. It was casual and fun, but different than a typical night out.

See? Can't you tell how much fun we are having? PS That awesome nail polish is Essie's Merino Cool.

Wish I could blame that fuzzy picture on the smoke...really that's just what happens when you use your camera phone as a real camera. Sorry Lauren!

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!

I don't have anything life altering to share with you today. However, I think I'll have some good entries on Monday morning. This weekend my longtime friend Laura is coming up to visit from Huntington Beach. I've been trying to make some tentative plans for the weekend so she can get a taste of Portland (she's never been to Oregon!).

The one thing we will for sure be doing is attending Portland's Holiday Ale Festival. This five day event is taking place in Pioneer Square downtown all weekend. With over 100 holiday ales and the beautiful weather that is forecasted for Saturday, this event is a must! I'll make sure to fill you all in on Monday, but hopefully I will see some of you there!

Much love for the weekend. See you back her Monday!

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

Our Sunday Morning Ritual

Since it's Friday and in honor of the weekend, this entry is dedicated to the good old-fashioned All-American diner. Jeremy and I love diners, especially on Sunday mornings. So our quest to find the perfect spot in Portland started months ago. But as wonderful as Portland can be...its culinary scene tends to be a bit too gourmet for the type of diner we were looking for. That is, until we discovered Fuller's Coffee Shop.


Spotlight on Fuller's Coffee Shop:

As Jeremy said on Sunday morning after about 6 cups of coffee...we need to come here every Sunday. I agree! This is it. That diner that serves the perfect plate of eggs and bacon, omelettes stuffed full of deliciousness, and that fabulous coffee you can really only find in a diner.

Fuller's has been around a long time, you can tell by the pictures of the same spot decades ago. It has that charm of a true American diner. Everyone sits at the counter and the coffee flows non-stop. I don't think there's much more you need to know, but if you need a little more convincing...their bread is homemade. The wheat and white toast is absolute perfection.

If you're ever looking for Jeremy and me, chances are you can find us at Fuller's Sunday morning around 11.

Fuller's - 136 NW 9th Street, Portland

Since I know not all of you live in the Portland area, I figured I'd also give you a couple recommendations that might be closer to where you live. (I've sought out good diners all over the country!)

Diner Spotlight - Huntington Beach, CA: Steve's

Owned by a very sweet Greek family, this is a great spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. No frills, just good food and very sweet servers. I went here for breakfast with my family and friends my entire 20 years in Huntington Beach. Highly recommend the Breakfast Special: 2 eggs, bacon, toast, and hashbrowns for about $4.

Steve's Charburger - 6033 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach

Diner Spotlight - Los Angeles, CA: S & W Country Diner

This adorable spot has the atmosphere of a classic diner and the food to back it up. Expect a long wait if you don't get here early, but located in Downtown Culver City, there is plenty to keep you busy as you wait. Highly recommend the Breakfast Burrito.

S & W Country Diner - 9748 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA

Diner Spotlight - New York, NY: Bruce's Restaurant and Bakery

Bruce's is not a typical diner, it's actually more of a Jewish deli...but if you ever happen to make your way out to Long Island Bruce's is a must. The owner Bruce has pictures lining the walls of all the celebrities he has baked for and dozens of others who have stopped in to visit his restaurant. Every meal comes with a delicious assortment of his pasteries, and you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My recommendation would be to stick with what it's famous for...corn beef sandwiches, matzoh ball soup, and rye bread. Trust me, you won't be sorry you made the trip out to Long Island.

Bruce's Restaurant and Bakery - 34 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck, NY

Bone Marrow and Barrels of Wine

Last week Jeremy came home from a very long trip to the Gulf Coast. He was given orders to report to Mobile, Alabama for two months to help inspect the ships coming back into the port from out in the oily waters. Although the two months felt pretty endless at times, I am happy to report he is home now...happy and healthy :) Of course, one of the very first things we did to celebrate was go out to dinner with our friends! We decided to try out this restaurant in the Pearl called Irving Street Kitchen.

Restaurant Spotlight: Irving Street Kitchen

Located on NW 13th Street, this restaurant is absolutely beautiful inside. It has a great vibe to it, lots of wood and a pretty fireplace. Our group of 6 didn't have a reservation, but showed up at 7 and didn't have any trouble getting a table. Our waitress was wonderful, she was able to explain in great detail every wine and entree on the menu in great detail (which is helpful because there are some pretty "out there" options!). I had heard prior to trying out ISK that it was known for serving gourmet southern comfort food, but I would definitely argue it has more of a French influenced menu.

One of the major "pros" about this restaurant is the wine. They had a great selection and all of the wine comes directly from barrels. Meaning instead of ordering by the bottle, you are served the wine in carafes. Our group shared a delicious Riesling from Kings Ridge, in the Willamette Valley, and a Pinot Nior from the Stoller Vineyards in Dundee Hills. We also shared a number of appetizers (Warning: They were not for the faint of heart). The boys in our group were gung-ho about trying the Herb Roasted Bone Marrow. Served with toasted bread, the marrow is spreadable. The boys and Lauren loved it (she was very brave!). I did taste it, but couldn't get past the idea of eating bone marrow. So I stuck with Dani and tried the Meatballs and Marinated Olives.

When it came time to order half our group had the "Cacciucco" Seafood Stew...absolutely delicious. Dani sampled the Draper Valley Fried Chicken (probably the only safe thing on the menu for picky eaters), which was also phenomenal. I don't remember exactly what Jared and Tyler had, but I think Jared tried some sort of Hare and Tyler had the Fillet. I know they both enjoyed their meal. Last but not least, dessert. We tried three different desserts and by far the best was the Lemon Tart. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but the flavor was incredible. Definitely worth saving room for dessert.

All in all, this restaurant was a fun experience, but overall probably not worth the cost. I would go back, but only for drinks or happy hour. It was a great night with friends, but we could of had three dinners at Bridgeport for the cost of this one meal.

Irving Street Kitchen - 701 NW 13th St. Portland

Apparently I make good bait...

One of the things I always loved about going to college in the Hudson Valley was autumn. The colors of the trees all over campus and along the Hudson River were breathtaking, and I've dearly missed Vassar this time of year ever since. Southern California has her fair share of positive attributes, but fall in Los Angeles just can't compete with the rest of the country. Which brings me to Portland! Who knew this city has such a beautiful autumn?! The trees outside my office building are as vibrant as the ones outside Rockefeller Hall! So in celebration of my favorite season I've been on a hunt to discover the best of Portland's autumnal offerings. I'll share with you what I've found so far:

Fall Must-Do #1: The Haunted Corn Maize on Sauvie Island

Friday night Jeremy and I went with our friends Dani and Jared out to Sauvie Island for a little Halloween fun. Every year they put on a Haunted Corn Maze throughout the month of October. Tickets to enter cost $10/person and plan to wait in quite a long line to buy your ticket and then enter into the maze. BUT it is totally worth the wait. The maze takes about 20 minutes to walk through and it lives up to the hype. There are dozens of haunts waiting from behind the wall of corn and the maze is elaborately decked out to be incredibly spooky and thoroughly terrifying. Jeremy may try to tell you he wasn't scared, but the truth is...after about the third zombie jumped out from the corn...he was yelling, "Take her, take her!" Yup...my boyfriend used me as bait. Perfect.

This is a great activity to do near Portland in the fall. To get directions or find out more information just click here.

And here we are at the Maize:

Fall Must-Do #2: The Hood River Fruit Loop

A co-worker of mine came into work last week and told me all about the great time she had apple picking out in Hood River the weekend before. Being a total sucker for this type of thing, I thought it would be the perfect outing for me to do with my parents the following weekend! So that's what we did. A couple weekends back my parents and I spent a beautiful day driving out to Hood River and exploring the "Fruit Loop". The Fruit Loop is a 35-mile drive through the valley near Mt. Hood. Full of orchards, fruit stands, lavender fields, and wineries...it doesn't get much better than this. The best part about this outing is it's versatility. If you have kids there are adorable farms with pumpkin patches, but if it's just you and your friends or a date there are great barbecue joints, country stores, and roadside stands selling the best produce the valley has to offer. My personal favorite was a stop along the loop called Cody's. They had the most delicious apple cider and a wide selection of produce.

I highly recommend this drive, the views of Mt. Hood all along the way are spectacular. Although keep in mind, most of the farms start to close up shop around the end of October. The next time I head out there will hopefully be for a train ride on the Mt. Hood Railroad. They have a Christmas Tree Train!

For a map of the Fruit Loop and additional information click here.