Experimental Food for the Soul

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.