Friday Favorites

Not having a job has me singing the blues every now and again. Day to day activities can sometimes seem so monumentally dull and unfulfilling that I would prefer to lie in bed than attempt another mundane task. So rather than (continuing to) wallow in self pity, I decided to spend some time celebrating some of my favorite things. 

Thus, I present to you...

1) Our wedding photos. 

I still remember the smells, sounds, and feelings that accompanied every photo in the set. I love looking them over, my eyes eating up every detail.

My Mother and I

My beautiful bridesmaids (and best friends!)

Thanks to Karen Dicks for capturing our day in such vivid detail!

2) My birthday is coming up in a little over a month.

I'll be turning 25... again. And to celebrate my 4th year of completing a quarter century, I am hoping this little beauty will make an appearance

Michael Kors Selma Satchel

Since my b-day is so close to Thanksgiving, I am hoping to spend the long weekend out at Mt Hood, skiing and relaxing in a cabin similar to this:

3) Portland fashion. 

These 2 words seem incongruous, but let me assure you there is a distinct fashion in my new neck of the woods, and I love it. Half of the year is cold, wet, and wintery, so the population has adapted its style to fit the weather. High waters with ankle boots, short skirts and tights, a rain jacket and scarf with everything. You have seen those shabby-chic model living rooms that look lived in and miss matched, but are somehow still tied together perfectly? Yeah - it's like that.

Source: Urban Weeds

Source: Urban Weeds

4) This Little Guy

I can't tell you how much I love that stinky dog

I feel better all ready. Any favorite you have that you would like to share?

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Weekend Recap

This post is a day late, but I have a good excuse: my Momma was in town this weekend! She lives in Huntsville, Alabama so I am only able to see her a few times a year. This was the first time she has been to visit us in our new home, so we spent the weekend touring her around Portland and the surrounding area. The leaves are just turning, the air was crisp, and the sky was blue. It was the perfect weekend for her to visit!

When I picked her up from the airport we took a drive through the city and Washington Park. There were just a few small buds at the Rose Garden, but it was still nice to take a walk around the beautiful grounds. We then drove up to Pittock Mansion, not so much to look at the mansion, but more to get a great view of the city. The day was so clear we could see all the way to Mt Hood and Mt St Helens. I am so happy that she was able to catch the last few good days of the year. Brian returned from work and we took the MAX downtown and did some beer tasting at Deschutes. All of their beers are delish, so I am glad we too the MAX, ha!

My mother had a list of things she wanted to do and see while she was here, so we were up and out of the house Early on Saturday to head down to the Saturday Market. I told her we had to go to VooDoo Doughnuts to round out her Portland experience, but the line was too long for her liking and she would not be swayeed otherwise... Le sigh, no doughnuts for me. It was nice to walk around the market and catch up with my mom, inspite of my doughnut-less state. We oogles all the pretties the market had to offer, but didn't find anything that tickled our facies enough to walk away with. Saturday was fun, but Sunday really knocked it out of the park!!

A friend of mine had mentioned the "Fruit Loop" in the Hood River Valley, and I was curious to check it out. It is a long loop of road that is dotted with pick-your-own-farms, cider houses, pumpkin patches, orchards, and even an alpaca farm (swoon)!! Oh My Lawd, was it incredible! There are close to 30 establishments, so it is impossible to enjoy them all in one day. I think we made it to about 6, but I would have loved to do more. Every place we stopped had a section set up for tasting, whether it be house-made jams and jellies, fruit, or cider. Quite a few places had hard cider sampling, so Brian was in Heaven.

Fox Tail Cider Company. Everything from Peach, to Berry, to Pear, to Apple.

This little guy was one day old. If I could have taken him, I would have. So sweet and so soft.

Mt Adams (?) in the background, handsome man in the fore. 

We returned home exhausted, stuffed, and laden with fruit. I had no idea what to do with so much produce, so my mother and I spent the evening discussing recipes and making list. We decided the best use of our bounty would be:

- Apple Sauce

- Pumpkin Shortbread bars

- Apple Chutney

- Raspberry Jam

I love cooking with my Momma, so that is how we spent all day Monday before she had to fly away again. Tomorrow I am going to go over the above mentioned recipes. I have a feeling there are going to be several recipe posts in the future, as we did not use even half of the apples or pumpkin we came home with!!

Weekend Recap

Welp, it is once again Monday. Not that it matters too much to me, as I am not working at the moment, but there is always something tense and grumpy about the first day of the week, whether or not officious obligations await.

This weekend was a particularly exciting one. I have ridden on the back of Brian's motorcycle several times and really enjoy it (once I get past being initially terrified). It is so exhilarating to be out in the open, with the wind and cars whipping by, matching the the sway of my body to the sway of his. I love it. However, constantly clanking helmets, sliding forward, and the inability to squirm for fear of shifting to much weight are far from enjoyable element of the ride. So I decided that I wanted to learn to ride by myself! I enrolled in a training program that had a classroom session on Friday, then range and classroom sessions on Saturday and Sunday. The classroom sessions were not what one might call engaging. I think the instructor may have been allowed to eat paint chips as a child. But the range sessions were great, in spite of the fact that it rained THE ENTIRE TIME, turning something that was already difficult into a really challenging task! I know how to drive a stick shift, so the principle was easy to learn, but retraining my muscles was quite difficult. I passed the written test with flying colors, but missed the practical test by a mere 3 points - very disappointing. I am going to practice on Brian's bike and retake the exam in a few weeks, hopefully on a day that it is not raining.

Saturday night we went downtown to celebrate a friend's birthday. We were supposed to go to Branch Whiskey Bar. Their menu look phenomenal, so I was really excited to try it out. Unfortunately, the birthday boy's fiance is picky. Like, Wonder Bread and ketchup are dietary staples kind of picky, and she thought duck fat fries sounded gross. I died a little inside. So we ended up down the street at a restaurant the specialized in Southern Food. I'm typically open to try anything, but I do have some hard rules I refuse to break. Having lived in Atlanta for the better part of a decade, I will not each Southern food unless I am in the South. It is never done right and there are always variations that take it from classic and delicious to gastronomic abomination. A Po'Boy on sweet potato bread? Excuse me, but that is not a Po'Boy... it's a sandwich. Call me a purist, but I would rather not waste the calories on vague impressions of something that, in its true form, is perfect.

We ended the night at Salt and Straw, a Portland staple. They specialize in ice cream with odd flavor combination. I had the mint and sea urchin meringue. I know, it sounds gross, but it was actually one of the most incredible things I have put in my mouth. Their other flavors include lavender and honey, loaded baked potato, and olive oil. So weird, but so tastey.

We wrapped up this stormy weekend with some homemade chicken wings (Which were quite impressive, if I do say so myself), roasted brussel sprouts, and watching several episodes of The Long Way Round. It documents Ewan McGregor's trip from London to New York via Europe and Asia on a motorcycle. It came out in 2004, so you can find it on Netflix, which I recommend you do. Now. You'll love it.

Have a beautiful day!

New In Town

I'm not going to lie, I had some second thought as I was loading up the VW to take the final drive out of my little Santa Barbara. Compared to my hometown, Portland is BIG. Almost five times as big. I would know no one, save my husband and the pup. And I would not have a job for the first time since highschool. I looked in the reaview mirror as my town receded into the distance and thought, "Here we go."

It has been about a month now and I am quite pleaseed with the decision to take on the Great Northwest. I arrived at the tail end of summer and we had just enough time to squeeze in a camping trip, fishing, and some phonominal hikes.

As summer fades into fall, I am reminded of how much I love the changing of the seasons. Southern California has 2 seasons: Summer and slightly cooler than Summer. Here the leaves are slowig fading from vibrant green to warm yellow and orange hues. The days are becoming noticibly shorter, allowing me to experiment more with harty sauces and stews, dense baked goods, and crockpot creations. The abundance of delicious, organic fall fruit is enough to make anyone with even a little sweet tooth swoon. All around there is a sense of preparation. The world is tucking in a getting cozy for another chilly season.

Slowly, but surely I am coming out of my shell. I have made some wonderful acquaintances who I can see turning into friends. I had forgotten how proactive one must bee when making friends outside of the context of school or work. Thankfully I have found Portland to be chock-full of the friendliest people you could ask for!

Finding a job has been a bit of a challenge. This town is pack to bursting with non-profits, so I had imagined that, with my experience, I would slide easily into a position. No ma'am. This has not been the case. But what do we do? We swim, swim, swim!

As I continue to explore the city, I hope to be doing posts from time to time on local restaurants or events. Portland has a lot to offer, and I hope to enjoy as much of it as I can!