Yeah, I totally spaced out on my blogging duties for the past few days. It certainly wasn't because I lacked material. We were incredibly busy this weekend (in a good way). This activity was due in part to the fact that I couldn't think of enough excuses to get me out of cleaning the apartment, and also, it was a holiday weekend with an abundance of beautiful weather.
Saturday morning I was feeling antsy and having a hard time figuring out what to do. Jesse suggested a bike ride, which at first sounded horrible, but once I was out in the cool breeze I couldn't get enough. Our initial destination was a bakery on Division Street, but about a mile into the ride, I decided that I wanted to make an afternoon of our excursion. We never made it to that Division Street bakery, but found something just as good -- if not better. The bike route headed down to Sellwood and by the time we arrived, I was ready for lunch. So, we stopped at the Grand Central Bakery for snacks. With two sack lunches in hand, Jesse and I made our way to the waterfront park and splayed out in the grass. It was great. My chicken salad sandwich (with fresh tarragon and asparagus) was outstanding. Jesse's turkey, cheese, and sweet chutney sandwich was also top-notch. Feeling refreshed and re-energized, we turned back for home with a slight detour in the Clinton/Division neighborhood. On the way, we met up (fortuitously) with our friends Anna and Brian (and their son) on an afternoon stroll. After walking them to their car, we continued with our bike ride to 62nd Avenue. In case you're wondering, our round trip ride on Saturday clocked in right around 21 miles. It was tiring, but surprisingly, I was not very sore.
Sunday was all about cleaning. I don't want to talk about it anymore. However, the apartment looks really spiffy and ready for the oncoming wave of guests in June.
As a treat for cleaning all day on Sunday, I decided that we needed a special outing on Monday. We decided to take a loop around Mount Hood (about 160 miles round trip). It was mostly a drive to see what's out there, since we've never really been any further east than 122nd Avenue in Portland. Our trip yesterday was stunning and surprising. Surprises? Well, people were skiing. Skiing in May? Absurd! Mount Hood is incredible, however, I learned that I probably will never feel comfortable driving there before the end of May.
These two photos were taken near the top of Mt. Hood at Timberline Lodge. The lodge was built by hand by WPA workers between 1936-37 and is a National Historic Landmark. Look familiar? The exterior was also used to film the movie, The Shining. I really enjoyed walking around and ogling the interior spaces outfitted with timbers, giant iron gates, and hand made furniture and textiles (also planned and executed by WPA workers). I know I'm a giant dork, but the huge snow piles still make me gasp. OMG! The snow is still up to the roof in May. Unbelievable.
After Timberline Lodge, we continued around the west side of Mt. Hood and made our way back home. We stopped off to cross the Bridge of the Gods into Washington and checked out a potential destination, the Walking Man Brewery. There doesn't seem to be much to do in Stevenson, WA other than walk around the 4-block downtown and sip some brews next to the Columbia River. That's ok though, the Bonneville Dam (also a National Historic Landmark) is just down the road and a totally awesome way to spend the afternoon. Two NHL's in a day? My total geek fantasy trip.
Wow, I totally sound like a lame travel website, but really, the Bonneville Dam might have been the highlight of my whole day. I was almost giddy at the raw power harnessed by the Columbia River, not to mention the underground viewing area to watch live salmon swim upstream on the engineered fish ladder. Seriously, I saw fish that were at least 2-feet long and nearly flipped my shit (along with the surrounding 5-year-olds) when a gigantic steelhead whisked into the viewing area. It was amazing and I can't wait to go back when the salmon are spawning. I might have to take a sedative before I get there though, so I won't jump up and down and scream at the sight.
On our way home we decided to take one more detour (which proved to be our undoing). The sandwiches ran out at the dam, but I couldn't resist the prospect of experiencing one of the most spectacular vantage points in all of the Portland area at Larch Mountain. Unfortunately, the access road to the picnic area was closed at the 10-mile-marker due to snow. SNOW! We would have had to hike four miles (up hill both ways heh) in snow in order to see five of the most outstanding peaks in the cascades including, Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, and on a clear day (it was spectacularly clear) Mt. Rainier. I guess that will just have to wait until next time.
We hopped back in the car and headed home totally exhausted. It was an awesome trip and I can't wait to explore the area further when we have guests in town. I've already reserved a couple of books on the Oregon Trail at the library so we can scout out a few of the existing portions of the trails left in the area. I can't wait to trade Jesse for a buffalo hide to survive the long, cold Oregon winter.
Last night, Jesse and I rode our bikes over to the east side to see a band that I like play at a local bar. We arrived pretty early, so we stopped at a Cuban restaurant, Pambiche, for happy hour. I had every intention of just getting a drink, but when we looked at the menu (with their Cuban Creole fare) we decided to make that stop dinner. The happy hour menu consisted of small plates ranging between $2-4 and they were delicious! I'm still kicking myself for forgetting my camera at home. (The photo above is just a random shot from Google images. We didn't actually get the empanadas, but you get the point. It was delicious.)
We shared a plate of codfish and potato croquetas, black-eyed peas frituras (sort of fritter-like), fried plantains, Masitas (pork with garlic sauce), and Cuban pepper stew. Everything was really tasty, but my favorite was the Masitas. It was slow-cooked pork that was cut into large pieces and then battered and pan fried with the garlic mojo sauce on top. Seriously, out of this world! I washed it all down with a fresh pineapple juice mimosa. We're definitely going back soon! Actually, I'm dying to try out their breakfast menu, so the next person to come visit us here in Portland might get the pleasure of sampling the Cuban steak and eggs.
We enjoyed happy hour so much that we arrived a little late to get a seat at the bar. Actually, the place seemed no bigger than our apartment and I felt pretty boxed-in. So, we hopped on our bikes to ride out to Mississippi Avenue for another free concert (I know, only in Portland). We cruised through several NE neighborhoods that I hadn't seen before, so it was a great (impromptu) search for new places to live. Hockey, played a great, if not a little short, show. I feel like I worked for my happy hour beverages last night. As we rode home, the sun was going down** and we stopped on the Broadway Bridge to admire the view. Jesse looked out over the river and repeated over and over, "this is our home, we're not just visiting." I agree. It's pretty awesome.
Date night has been officially resurrected after long winter hiatus. Now that the weather is turning for the better, I think we're going to schedule regular date nights again, but with destinations that force us to ride to new places.
**Don't worry Mom(s). We have blinky lights on the front and back.
According to conservative columnist, George Will, Portland (termed the P-Word in his article) is a dirty cancerous lump of "smart growth" and "new urbanism" and "progressive as all get-out" projects. Seriously? That sounds pretty awesome to me. Think again America, it's an evil plot to rob you of your personal rights, like the right to endure long commutes to your job, and your right to unbridled use of the incandescent light bulb after 2014. At first glance, I thought this might be an opening skit for the Colbert Report.
I wondered why Newsweek even pedaled this garbage. Then, Jesse pointed out that both Will and the magazine probably only grow in popularity (online hits-wise) when they usher inflammatory, borderline insane arguments as opposed to the usual boring stuff. Reading his op-ed piece is like going to a freak show; you don't want to say for long, but can't help looking at the lizard baby again and again. So, that's why I'm not linking to his story. Find it on your own, it shouldn't be that hard.
Eventually, I was able to disregard Will's dismissive attitude on how many people actually ride bikes to work. I get the point, it's insanely small right now. What annoyed me most was his misrepresentation of early suburban history and speaking to the ideals of "scores of millions" of Americans. Let me repeat, Scores of Millions of Americans! In one breath he casually melds the streetcar suburbs of the early 20th century with post-war sprawl that has run rampant in the past few decades. Will conflates this history as some sort of proof that "meatloaf, macaroni-and-cheese, down-to-earth" (i.e. real) Americans have an innate need for automobiles and lots of space to protect their precious personal freedom.
Granted, early streetcars did enable freedom from crowded and dirty center cities. However, these edge neighborhoods were no more than a few miles away as opposed distant places accessed only by freeways and personal automobiles. Oh, and also? Those streetcar suburb dwellers didn't ride in their own trolley car to work. They sat by their neighbors on the trip downtown, willingly participating in "communitarian moments." I personally think a more worthy Newsweek topic might be: How the heck did those generations of trolley riders survive without the advent of mp3 players and noise-canceling headphones?!
Even though 2.8% is still a small number for bike commuters in Portland, it's significantly better than the national average. That has to be worth something right? Portland isn't constantly voted one of the most livable and walkable cities in the country for no reason. As I was reading Will's piece and about to boil over, Jesse got a phone call from the front door. It was the SmartTrips guy delivering (by bike) our bag full of information on enjoying the city by bike and foot. We got an awesome book on walking tours, a nice road map showing city bike routes, a bike safety manual, and a guide for getting around Portland without a car. Oh the delicious irony. I couldn't stop smiling all day -- certainly we must outnumber the George Wills of America.
Last night's dinner turned out to be a lot more fun than I had imagined. I picked up a loaf of cibatta from Ken's, dusted off my mandolin to slice thin veggies, and paired it all with a little ham and some goat cheese. The Ken's bread loaf turned out to be a little much for a traditional sandwich, so we used the slices as the mode of delivery for lots and lots of crispy greens.
Jesse really got into building his dinner creations and made pile after pile of stylized open-faced sandwiches. By the end, they no longer resembled sandwiches, but rather gobs of arugula, sprouts and cucumbers shoved into a tiny piece of crust and held together by a strip of ham -- kind of like a cibatta taco. I wonder if Mark Bittman has our tiny apartment tapped for blog ideas: Sandwich Anyone? Now that I look through the photo entries, I'm sad I didn't take more pictures of Jesse's creations. They were quite lovely and didn't raise the temperature of the kitchen one bit.
Speaking of temperature, the twin fan worked brilliantly (and Portland weather flipped me the bird). Not two hours after we installed the window fan, a giant weather system came through and cooled things down to a brisk 50 degrees. After the sun went down a little, the bedroom was 60 degrees in no time. In fact, it was a little too cold by the time we woke up this morning that turned it off completely. Of course, it won't work as well when the outside temperature is hovering at 90, but for now, it's perfect. As long as the evenings cool down, I think I can survive.
It's gotten pretty warm for the past few days, up to 80 degrees over the weekend. Today wasn't bad, only around 75 degrees, but our apartment still felt like a layer of hell. Ok, I exaggerate a little, but according to the instant read kitchen thermometer, the apartment was about 82 degrees around 2pm. The problem with the apartment is that we have zero shade from the trees outside and the sun roasts our 600 square feet like an Easy Bake Oven. Given that our windows are all on one wall, there is very little air circulation -- especially when we have to keep the shades drawn for a better part of the afternoon.
Today I finally got tired of standing right in front of our oscillating fan to cool off, so I went out and picked up a window fan to try and draw some of the cool outdoor air into the bedroom. It's on a trial run this afternoon to see if I will make the cut. I have to admit that it is cooler in the bedroom (78 degrees instead of 82) and the extra breeze is a nice touch. However, it would be awesome if it had a 4th fan setting for turbo jet to create a tornado effect. We'll run it tonight to see if it really makes a difference. I'm hoping that it does. Otherwise, I'll just hang out in the basement all summer where it's nice and cool.
Another side effect of the warmer temperatures is that I haven't really wanted to turn on the stove at all in the evenings. This means that Jesse has run out of granola and our dinners have been simple and at room temperature. Last night we had pasta with bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, olives and feta. Today, I picked up a loaf of bread from Ken's and we're going to make sandwiches.
I think I'll probably break my non-cooking streak tonight and do a little baking once the sun gets lower. Last week I baked peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies and would like to try them again. They were delicious. I think both Jesse and I loved them so much because they were pretty hearty and relatively healthy -- I have deemed them "magic cookies" for their restorative powers. We've had them around for snacks and both found out that a "magic cookie" and a glass of water make the perfect fuel before runs. I'm going to reduce the sugar this time by 1/4 cup and continue to use regular oats (I don't have the quick cook kind in the pantry). I think they will be a staple in the kitchen, sort of like a homemade power bar.
Jesse declared today a local holiday in honor of me unveiling my legs for the first time this season. It's the first day that's been nice enough to put on a tank top for running, so I decided to embrace it wholeheartedly and go for shorts as well. This was not a process to take lightly. It meant shaving my legs above the knees and foregoing lotion for fear that the reflective glare from freshly moisturized skin might cause severe car collisions as I passed by.
I'm not just doing this for comfort as I run, but also for the comfort of the guests attending Ben & Daphne's wedding in two weeks. I distinctly remember the last May wedding that I attended in California. My legs were likened to the color of thick, white tights -- legs so white, in fact, that they have never been found on any native species of the west coast. Since I've publicly committed to wearing a dress, I decided that it is time for me to do something about my porcelain (pasty) skin.
My run went pretty well today. I ended up jogging just over 25 minutes (with a couple of walking breaks), and covered about 3.5 miles while walking and running. The weather certainly couldn't have been more perfect. Other than the emergency pit stop stop in the very crowded Wallace Park public restroom (that doesn't have stall doors), the run was pretty sweet. I'm pretty sure the 6-year-old child that walked in on me didn't have such a sweet afternoon. She was quite distraught. Note to future self, make lots of noise when using bathrooms with no doors.
This week Jesse noticed that one of the drawer pulls on our credenza was cracked. In truth, it wasn't just cracked, the handle was about to fall off. This made me very sad, because I actually really love the pulls. I'm not sure how it happened -- whether it was already cracked when we bought the piece, or if we damaged it somehow when moving it to the apartment. Both Jesse and I have a knack for breaking things, so maybe somehow one of us did it by accident.I can't really point fingers here, because it is a total mystery.
Anyway, I have been on a mission to find something to replace my cute little drawer pulls, but to date I have hit a wall. Not only are they a unique shape, but they are also a weird size. Very few pieces of furniture hardware come with the screws spaced at 4.25" on center. Even the internet has turned up very limited options. At this point, I'm not even worried about style as long as I find something to make the drawer functional again! I have yet to troll the vintage furniture and hardware replacement stores here in Portland. That in itself is a daunting task. There has to be a shop that specializes in old hardware, especially with the mid-century modern craze that has hit lately. I just have to find the right store!
My roommate from college is taking an intensive course this summer in the hills of North Carolina on metalworking and forging. Maybe I can be her first customer and commission her to craft a new set for me.
So, I've had a hard time figuring out exactly what to do with the 2 pounds of cooked pinto beans that I made last week. Aside from freezing them for later, I hadn't come up with very many good ideas -- there are only so many ways to vary tacos and burritos. Then yesterday, I typed in "pinto beans" on Epicurious and found a Trinidadian recipe for Pelau. It sounded a lot like an alternate version of my favorite southern Perloo dish, so I decided to give it a whirl.
In all honesty, my dish didn't resemble the original at all, given I didn't have any butternut squash, coconut milk, or scotch bonnet peppers. I scanned the fridge for things that I did have on hand and devised a rough plan. The result was more like a Pelau love child, mixing a little Caribbean, a little Cajun, and a little Mexican (from the pintos). I used brown rice, some Cajun spice, Jerk spice, hot sauce, and a ton of fresh herbs. The interesting part of this recipe is that you glaze the chicken in a bit of brown sugar before stirring in all of the ingredients. It provides a nice (and very different) touch from my usual rice dishes. I also included bell pepper and celery in addition to the onions, carrots, and scallions. I baked the rice mixture covered in the oven for what seemed like eons -- almost an hour and a half.
Just when I was about to lose all hope and resign myself to getting takeout instead, the liquid was absorbed and we were ready to chow down. I have to say that the rice was not perfect. This, I think, is due to the fact that I threw in the beans without rinsing first. The residual liquid caused the rice to be a little stickier than I would have liked. However, the chicken literally fell off the bone and the flavor was out of this world. I am encouraged. This recipe really opened the door for a little more experimentation. If I can get the liquid ratio just right, then the flavor and ingredient varieties are endless.
This meal was right up my comfort food alley. It's also a really cheap way to clean out the fridge. I've done a rough calculation and even with the chicken, the whole dish cost under $10. With at least four servings, I'd say that's a good value. Both Jesse and I are excited to try another version in the not-so-distant future.
I finished another dress today. I originally thought I'd make a shirt with the fabric, but liked the first dress so much that I decided to go with my momentum and whip up another. This one doesn't have a sash -- I'm seriously rethinking the bow on the first and may refashion it into a belt with a cute buckle instead. Also, I made the neckline a v-shape instead of rounded. This one came together pretty quickly and I'm very pleased. The only thing left to do is finish the hem (and find a place to wear it).
Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. Jesse suggested that we ride our bikes out to the farmers market, but I was having a little trouble motivating myself to shed the pj's that early in the morning. So, we both had a hearty breakfast and made plans to bike up to the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland. The initial plan involved stopping for an afternoon snack once we got there and then on our way home hitting a new brewery for an afternoon pint.
We rode our bikes on the west side of the Willamette River along the old industrial area that I've never seen before. Further south, there are tons of abandoned warehouses with funky old signs and a rusted out railroad track that leads to nowhere. As you ride north though, the area is still pretty vibrant, with lumber storage, a glassworks, and tons of oil and gas storage sites. The hill leading up to the St. Johns Bridge is a pretty steep climb, but we took our time and stopped for a picturesque view of the bridge. It is really quite breathtaking. 
St. Johns is pretty far north of downtown and until 1915 was an independent city. I got that feeling about five seconds after we crossed the bridge. Immediately, we heard the sound of a high school band and old car horns honking. We picked the perfect day to experience St. Johns, just in time for the 47th Annual St. Johns Day Parade and Carnival.
It was quite an experience. A lot of people refer to the neighborhood as charming for it's small-town feel. I'm not sure if charming is the first thing that came to mind. It seems like nice quiet neighborhood -- I can certainly see why some people really love it there -- but it's just not for me. We hastened our exit shortly after having a pretty sub-par pastry from the local bakery, and saw that our lunch destination, The Big Kahuna BBQ, had become a drive-through burrito joint. Knowing that after first half of our bike ride we both would need some grub, I was ready to high-tail it out of St. Johns to more familiar territory.
The ride down the east side of the river was really beautiful. The area between St. Johns and the University of Portland is lined with lovely old trees and has a really nice feel. We coasted down the road and enjoyed the afternoon. Final stop? Amensia Brewing on Mississippi Avenue. I had a delicious veggie burger and Jesse enjoyed a giant spicy bratwurst with sauerkraut. We ate our afternoon meal in their outdoor seating area that reminds me a lot of a biergarten. My only complaint? Well, except for the seasonal brew (Belgian-style) and a lonely porter, every beer on their menu is a pale ale. Dude, Portland, I get it! You love your hops, but cut a woman a break! Porter in the summertime is not very refreshing. Branch out just a little? Please?
I'm so glad the weather is improving and we are able to explore the city a bit more by bike. I'm looking forward to our next neighborhood adventure.
Reason No. 1,897,473: Hood above my stove and cross-ventilation.
I'm tired of wearing the scent of whatever I cook. I have quite a track record of cooking smelly foods. My motto? If it doesn't have onions, don't bother. Gumbo = B.O. Even if I throw open the kitchen window, there's nothing stopping the smells from migrating into the rest of the apartment and ruining my day. So, that's where I am this morning, wearing Eau de Toasted Cumin and Onions from a pot of beans. I reek.
For some reason a few months ago, I bought a two-pound bag of pinto beans. I think it only cost $1.00, so I couldn't resist. My purchase shortly followed a conversation with Jesse about my personal opinion on ordering at Tacos Moreno (in Santa Cruz). I think that people should skip the burritos and just get the quesadilla with beans. Seriously, the beans are like crack; certainly cooked to perfection in pure lard. Granted, Tacos Moreno's carnitas is pretty spectacular too, but there's something about the simplicity of beans and cheese in a fresh tortilla. Anyway, once I got home, I realized that pinto beans are probably the most boring beans around and had no idea what I was going to do with them. Today, I decided to suck it up and just cook the darn things. I found a recipe from Bon Appetit that looked appealing. I think they're going to be quite tasty.
In all honesty, I'm using my cooking project today as a crutch. I needed to feel successful at something after finding out this morning that we didn't get the contract for the school survey project. The district went with an engineering firm instead, although I'm not sure exactly why. The suspense after our interview last week nearly killed me, so it was actually relieving to know one way or another. There will be other cool projects, I know, but still, what a bummer! One good thing today (besides the beans) is that my herbs are finally sprouting.
We'll have basil and cilantro in no time -- both destined for delicious pesto no doubt!
So, I've periodically updated on my attempt to get back into running again by setting a steadfast schedule based on mileage goals. To date, the progress has been kind of crappy -- to the point that I only have been half-heartedly attempting to even finish my second week of the 1.5-mile running loop. As you know, the first attempt resulted in me almost losing my lunch and the second, third, fourth, etc. were almost as disappointing. Run after run, I was hardly making any improvement and seriously thought there was something wrong with me. When comparing my experience now to when I first started to get into running in D.C., I was bummed -- in only a couple of months, I was running for 30 or more minutes without even panting. It was nice, relaxing even.
My first thought after feeling defeated multiple times by my embarrassingly short runs (only 1.5 miles), was that 29 is a lot older than 27. Go ahead, roll your eyes, but in my defense, I do have multiple (obnoxious) grey hairs up front to prove that point. Anyway, I was feeling all hunched and trollish until Jesse's brother, Eric, emailed with a simple suggestion. He suggested that I pick an amount of time and just run. Then, I can improve by covering more distance within my time goal and eventually add more time to the length. (This coming from the guy who averages 55 miles a month, talk about rolling eyeballs.)
So, I tried it. I expanded my loop to just under 3 miles and decided that I would run for 10 minutes and walk the rest of the way home if necessary. It worked! I ran for 10 minutes and still felt good, so I ran for another 5. After that, I walked for 4 minutes (or the approximate length of one awesome Ark song) to catch my breath and jogged the rest of the 3-mile loop. In addition to running way more than I expected, my 1-mile split was a lot faster than it had been previously. This could possibly have something to do with the fact that I've been running off and on for a couple of weeks, but I like to think it's because my mental block has been lifted.
The overall accomplishment today? I ran 2 miles, which was physically impossible before. Seriously, my body groaned after the 1.5 mile based on distance. I also ran for a total of about 22 minutes, which is 7 minutes more than I had been able to do just a couple of days ago. Now that I think back, this approach is not all that different than when I started back in D.C., I just needed to be hit over the head with it again.
I'm happy to have found a way to get back into a running pattern that works for me. I felt so excited about all of the progress I made in just one run that I'm pretty sure getting out the door will be a lot easier from now on.
It rained yesterday from around 2pm until we went to sleep. It wasn't just a drizzle, but a hard, steady, soaking rain. Jesse and I had every intention of going for a jog, but it's hard to motivate yourself when the feeling would resemble a cold shower head following you around the neighborhood. We both felt a little stir crazy by the end of the afternoon, but managed to channel the nervous energy into three rounds of Quiddler, followed by making another batch of bagels (whole wheat this time), and a round of Phase 10. I've mentioned before how much I love games and cooking projects, so it was a great evening
The sun is out this morning, so I'm mentally prepping for a run as I write. I've had my banana, a small whole wheat bagel, and a giant glass of water. There's not much more I can do than just step out the door. The run is an effort on my part to detox from the last few days of drinking (ahem Belgian beer fest) and eating happy hour food. I'm working on a delicious pot of red beans and rice to kick off a week of simple and nutritious eating. Ok, so the red beans have a little sausage in them, but not a lot and it seems to be pretty lean.
I've been on the hunt for a suitable sausage to use in my Cajun recipes, since real andouille is hard to find. Also, I am very picky about sausage in terms of fat, texture, and overall flavor. I think there is nothing grosser than a mushy, fatty, sausage link, which seem to abound in grocery stores and some meat counters. Ideally, I'd like the sausage to be local, but I just haven't found the right one yet. After tasting Corralitos sausage in California, it's been hard to find anything that compares. We picked up a package of Zenners Louisiana Red Hots from the supermarket the other day and I was totally grossed out when examining them after they were cooked. I put them in the chili anyway, thinking that I wouldn't notice once the sausage was all mixed in, but ended up shoveling hunks of Zenners into Jesse's bowl at dinner time. The texture was too soft and I could see chunks of visible fat hanging out even after cooking. Blech. I don't care if it's the official sausage of PGE Park, it's really not that great.
Disappointed, and convinced that I might just be a glutton for punishment, I picked up a package of pork andouille sausages at Whole Foods by Wellshire Farms. The company doesn't use antibiotics, preservatives, or nitrates, so it seems to me like a good product. I sauteed them for the red beans today and after tasting am quite pleased. It's firm when cooked, no visible globs of fat, and the spices are a little smoky and tasty. The only problem is that it's made in Delaware and has to be trucked all the way out to Oregon for me to eat it. So, it doesn't fit all of the criteria, but it is a start. I'm hoping to continue my search and find a Portland version of Corralitos so we don't have to bring home pounds of sausage when visit family and friends in Santa Cruz. I'm sure there's one out there, I just have to keep tasting!
I felt pretty wrecked on Saturday morning after our late afternoon of tasting delicious Belgian-style beer. My brain was foggy and I just wanted to kick up my feet and relax for the afternoon. As I mentioned earlier, we had quite a few drink tickets leftover due to the fact that we received very healthy pours on Friday (and felt compelled to drink the entire contents of our glasses). Against our bodies' wishes, after Graham headed for home on Saturday we got dressed and strolled over again to the beer festival to complete our list of tastings.
I think there were 24 beers that had used the the Wyeast 3822, Ingelmunster Belgian yeast strain this years competition, so it would have been impossible to try full glasses of them all at Friday's pace. This time we employed a different (and wiser) strategy to ensure that we wouldn't pass out at 2pm from too much brew. If we tasted a beer that we didn't like (or felt did not measure up to the name of Belgian-style), we simply poured it out at one of the many beer buckets around the pub. It was a much better system and ensured that we had enough room for a glass each of our favorites at the end.
I have to say that there were a lot of good, drinkable beers (some that if bottled or on tap, I would have on a regular basis). However, the point of a beer competition is to find a great beer for the award. Other breweries clearly hadn't ever tasted a Belgian-style beer, or were just feeling uninspired so they decided to brew an IPA, Stout, or Porter with Belgian yeast. There were a couple that were very disappointing.
Double Mountain Brewery from Hood River, OR produced two varieties of a dark Belgian (10.8% abv) called Ingelmonster. We only tried the barrel-aged variety on Friday and when we went back to try the second on Saturday, they were all tapped out. I'm not sure if it was curiosity on the part of tasters -- it's not everyday that you stumble on a beer in the US with almost 11% alcohol content -- or if it really was that good. I loved the Ingelmonster Barrel and Jesse chose it for the People's Choice Award, so I wonder if the other variety wouldn't have been my top choice? I guess we'll never know. My People's Choice Award went to a beer called Streaking the Quad (9.4% abv) by Deschutes Brewery from Bend, OR. It was a little lighter in color than the Ingelmonster, but no less tasty.
I can't wait for the published results of the People's Choice Awards. I wonder if our beer-drinking palates are in tune for finding a good Belgian-style brew?
I used G's visit this week as an excuse to get back in the kitchen and experiment. He and J were my guinea pigs (and I was very satisfied with the results). I made it very clear from the time G arrived that I didn't want him to ever feel hungry. I always feel bad when people come to my house, but feel shy about eating. G, thankfully, took my advice. He arrived on Wednesday right around dinner time and I had a veggie lasagna still warm on the stove. I was a little nervous, because a large percentage of the veggies consisted of collard greens -- he had a mental block about eating them at Thanksgiving this past year, so my uneasiness was not unfounded. I held my breath as he took his first bite, but then he went back for seconds. I thought maybe he was just being polite. Then, he grazed a little after dinner. Score! Mikey liked it.
Thursday night after our hike at Multnomah Falls, we had veggie burritos. G is a fan of tofu, so our last minute dinner concoction was a success. I also tried my hand at a new pie dough recipe and made an apple tart. I was a little nervous about unveiling my creation to someone other than J, so as I brought it to the table I begged that they not judge me against their Mom's baked goods standards. G joked by assuring me that he'd only judge my tart against Safeway quality (so I was assured a win). We all laughed heartily as we took our first bites. The pie crust wasn't as delicate as I had hoped, but it wasn't terrible either -- G and J managed to choke down two servings. I'm definitely going to try the dough again sometime soon.
Of course, the visit wouldn't be successful without J taking his brother out on a run to experience the city. While they were out on an hour-long jog, I tried my hand at making homemade bagels. I have to say they rocked -- a perfect part of an afternoon meal. We paired them with hummus, cream cheese, along with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. G had three. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just to be polite. I quickly learned that with two grown men in the house, "leftovers" is a concept of the past. Right now, there's one lonely bagel sitting in the kitchen and I'm not sure if it will make it until noon. I think J and I will be whipping up another batch again very soon to enjoy with smoked salmon and capers for a treat.
With bellies full, we went to the Japanese Garden for a nice stroll and then headed over to the "Cheer for Belgian Beers" festival. I did not take a single photo of our time tasting beer, but it was awesome. J and I still have a few more on our list that we didn't get to try (due to the healthy 6oz pours in our "taste" glasses). We're thinking about stopping by tomorrow to round out our sample group before voting accordingly for our favorite of the festival. Jesse and I each came up with different favorites, but I have to say, I liked both equally. My pick was for "Streaking the Quad" by Deschutes Brewery, which was a
G is heading out this morning for his trip back home to California. It was great having him for a visit and I really enjoyed hearing about his time in Los Angeles. He's really making a good life for himself. I certainly hope he's in Portland again sometime soon.
Saturday morning I was feeling antsy and having a hard time figuring out what to do. Jesse suggested a bike ride, which at first sounded horrible, but once I was out in the cool breeze I couldn't get enough. Our initial destination was a bakery on Division Street, but about a mile into the ride, I decided that I wanted to make an afternoon of our excursion. We never made it to that Division Street bakery, but found something just as good -- if not better. The bike route headed down to Sellwood and by the time we arrived, I was ready for lunch. So, we stopped at the Grand Central Bakery for snacks. With two sack lunches in hand, Jesse and I made our way to the waterfront park and splayed out in the grass. It was great. My chicken salad sandwich (with fresh tarragon and asparagus) was outstanding. Jesse's turkey, cheese, and sweet chutney sandwich was also top-notch. Feeling refreshed and re-energized, we turned back for home with a slight detour in the Clinton/Division neighborhood. On the way, we met up (fortuitously) with our friends Anna and Brian (and their son) on an afternoon stroll. After walking them to their car, we continued with our bike ride to 62nd Avenue. In case you're wondering, our round trip ride on Saturday clocked in right around 21 miles. It was tiring, but surprisingly, I was not very sore.
As a treat for cleaning all day on Sunday, I decided that we needed a special outing on Monday. We decided to take a loop around Mount Hood (about 160 miles round trip). It was mostly a drive to see what's out there, since we've never really been any further east than 122nd Avenue in Portland. Our trip yesterday was stunning and surprising. Surprises? Well, people were skiing. Skiing in May? Absurd! Mount Hood is incredible, however, I learned that I probably will never feel comfortable driving there before the end of May.
These two photos were taken near the top of Mt. Hood at Timberline Lodge. The lodge was built by hand by WPA workers between 1936-37 and is a National Historic Landmark. Look familiar? The exterior was also used to film the movie, The Shining. I really enjoyed walking around and ogling the interior spaces outfitted with timbers, giant iron gates, and hand made furniture and textiles (also planned and executed by WPA workers). I know I'm a giant dork, but the huge snow piles still make me gasp. OMG! The snow is still up to the roof in May. Unbelievable.
After Timberline Lodge, we continued around the west side of Mt. Hood and made our way back home. We stopped off to cross the Bridge of the Gods into Washington and checked out a potential destination, the Walking Man Brewery. There doesn't seem to be much to do in Stevenson, WA other than walk around the 4-block downtown and sip some brews next to the Columbia River. That's ok though, the Bonneville Dam (also a National Historic Landmark) is just down the road and a totally awesome way to spend the afternoon. Two NHL's in a day? My total geek fantasy trip.
Wow, I totally sound like a lame travel website, but really, the Bonneville Dam might have been the highlight of my whole day. I was almost giddy at the raw power harnessed by the Columbia River, not to mention the underground viewing area to watch live salmon swim upstream on the engineered fish ladder. Seriously, I saw fish that were at least 2-feet long and nearly flipped my shit (along with the surrounding 5-year-olds) when a gigantic steelhead whisked into the viewing area. It was amazing and I can't wait to go back when the salmon are spawning. I might have to take a sedative before I get there though, so I won't jump up and down and scream at the sight.
