The Feed Store

One of the many things I miss about living in Redmond is hanging out at the Feed Store.  Especially right now because they have adorable chicks and ducks!  We stopped in at Big R today to look at cat food since Yam needs a special kind..diet food.  Check out the pics below.

Baby ducks

Baby chicks

Funny cat toy.  We didn't buy it.

Tempting, but passed on this one too.

I don't know what to say about this.

I also miss checking out the cowboys with their hat and boots.  They are so polite and husky!

Too bad we didn't have time to stop in the shelter and look for a friend for Yam.  There's always next time... 

Beautiful Central Oregon

Yesterday, the weather was gorgeous!  We walked the 3.5 mile loop at the Old Mill and enjoyed the sunshine.  I've been doing okay in my hour of exercise every day during Lent.  Although, I walked in spitting snow conditions on Saturday and survived rain on Friday.  Only 34 more days to go.  No loss of weight, so I better kick it up. 

I asked Emil if I can bank extra time...especially when I walk the Butte two times in a row.  He said no.  Boo.  Seems like I should get a pass for the next day if I haul my butt up the Butte four times in two days, don't you think? 

Here's a pic from yesterday:

Old Mill District

Dairy-free is hard, but I'm adjusting.  Emil misses cheese.  Some interesting menu planning may be coming up...he wants to go vegetarian, but eat cheese.  Where does this leave me?  Lots of meals where cheese is optional/on the side.

Busy week ahead of us!

The Cat Lady

Ugh, I've become the cat lady.  I take pics of Yam sleeping and looking so dang cute.  He picked a favorite person...Emil.  Are you surprised? 

He has many blankets to lay on.  Spoiled!

Sleeping on our bed.  Hmmm......

Time for a nail trim.

Yam is such a good cat!  No biting, scratching, or mischievous behavior.  He does tend to play around at night and yeow, but I sleep right through it.  Too bad Emil doesn't.

I've been trying lots of new recipes these days in my dairy-free diet.  Since I received several new cookbooks for Christmas, it's been fun cooking.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of the sweet and tangy brisket.  It was pretty good.  I also made a raw kale, brussel sprout salad with cucumber, golden beets, and mustard vinaigrette.  And, I hate salad!! 

This is one my new favs:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-beets-and-sauteed-beet-greens/

Seems like I'm eating lots of beets these days.  The greens were so good, and I expected them to be bitter.  Not at all!  I tossed in some sauteed shrooms and sweet onions plus a healthy dash of red wine vinegar.

Many thanks to my lovely neighbor, landlord, boss, friend....Annie.  She's a good influence in the food department, and I've become a little bit more adventurous.  I would say less picky too, but that's just silly!

Lent

Ash Wednesday is rapidly approaching, so I'm trying to decide on what to give up or what to work on during Lent.

My first inclination is to give up Juanita's Tortilla Chips.  I love them!  They are a perfect salty snack which I partake in just about every evening.  They are made right in Hood River.  I wonder if they give tours....

I also thought of giving up soy vanilla lattes.  They seem to be a new addiction since my dairy-free diet began.  It's also a pricey addiction.  Emil bought me a recycled cup with a nice discount every time I purchase a drink.  I need to get my money's worth out of the cup, right?

Or, I could go in a different direction.  Say...walk Pilot Butte every day until Easter. 

Elevation gain is about 1,000 feet.  Not much.

Or focus on my book instead of other stuff going on.  So many choices, but I better decide quick...Lent is approaching fast.

On to other updates:  Yam is settling in okay.  He's chosen a favorite person already....Emil.  But, he sleeps in my lap every night during tv time.

We're both busy coordinating a workshop and concert in May.  Aaron Keim, The Quiet American, is coming through Bend.  He's so good!  http://quietamericanmusic.com/. 

It's 4 a.m. here, and I woke up to Yam meowing.  He's ready to be petted and loved on!

Yam fka Skittles

I've been talking about getting a cat ever since we left our house-sitting gig in Redmond.  It was so much fun to have cats to talk to, spoil them, and cuddle with.  I even contemplated stealing a cat in a Redmond neighborhood who had been left behind by his owners.

Yesterday, I saw a FB post from Brightside Animal Center (fka Redmond Humane Society) about a cat named Butterbean.  So cute!  I thought it was a sign since Butterbean is an inside joke between Emil and I.  With a promise NOT to adopt a cat today, Emil agreed to go look at Butterbean.  Bwah ha ha ha ha.  That's my sneaky laugh.

We spent lots of time looking at cats and narrowed it down to five cats.  I could instantly become The Cat Lady and adopt all five!  Each cat had a distinct personality, and I loved them all.  Butterbean was shell-shocked and shy at being there after 10 years with the same owner.  Crete was young and friendly.  Skittles was perfect.  Sassy was playful and shy.  Yoshi was laid back.

Finally we decided on Skittles!

Sitting on his perch

Very distinct stripes

 While the animal clinic did our paperwork, we ran out to buy some supplies.  Emil insisted on buying cat toothbrushes. 

Good luck using them!

The mouse is too big.

We still need a few scratching posts and a bigger bed.  A 14.5 pound cat takes up quite a bit of room as it turns out.  Now for the adjustment period....Emil's the disciplinarian.  I'm the softie.  I'm also the one who's an obsessive cleaner and doesn't like hair everywhere.

As we watched tv last night, we threw around some names and settled on Yam.  He's the color of a sweet potato and kinda hefty.  What a sweetie!

On a side note, if you're thinking of getting an animal, please consider adopting from a Humane Society.  There were cats who have been there for two or more years.  Just makes you want to take them all home!

The Providence Crew

Our friends, Sylven and Karen, came to visit from Providence, and we had a grand ol' time.  Exercise, beer, ukes, soaking pool, food, and the ocean.  What else do you need?

Emil picked them up from the airport and headed straight for a super cool tour at mya-moe ukuleles in White Salmon, WA.  They hung out with Aaron and Nicole Keim, Gordon and Char Mayer, and a host of beautiful ukes.

Shop for a new uke!
http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/

Load up your iPod or learn clawhammer!
http://quietamericanmusic.com/

On Friday, we hiked up Pilot Butte and played ukes.  It was fun to learn new songs.  We also made a quick stop at Deschutes Brewery for the short tour, a beer at Crux Fermentation, and celebrated Karen's birthday!

Sylven and Emil

Me, Annie, and Sylven playing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Happy Birthday!!

Charcuterie Board

Love the vibe of Crux

Four free samples at Deschutes Brewery

Cornichons!

Sunset

After lunch at Jackson's Corner, and a hike on the Deschutes River Trail, we went to the soaking pool at McMenamin's.  SO relaxing and warm.  Time for more ukes and food!

Time for a BLB

Deschutes River

On Sunday, we drove to Pacific City and up the Coast, took a long walk on the beach, and stopped in at New Seasons Market.

Karen took lots of great photos throughout the trip.  Check out her website.  Maybe on her next visit, she can take pics of Emil's workshop for his website.  Something to lure them back, so we can hike, drink more beer, and sightsee!!

http://karenphilippi.com/

Breakfast at Pine State Biscuits the next morning and back home!  Time to research more on self-publishing and screen-printing!

Very cool art at Pine State.  For sale!  Hmmmmm....

The Chatfield

Pine State Club

Kung Pao Tofu.  I WILL make this at home!

Yes, Chef!

You know a book is good when you dream about it.  I finally finished "The Making of a Chef:  Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute."  It was so good!  I want to go and teach the courses on Front of the House.  Since I've worked in restaurants since I was 15, I'm armed with lots of information and funny stories.

However, I did have a few bad dreams of me working the saute station, in the weeds, and being yelled at by a chef sporting a toque.  Not good.  I'm desperate for a nap.

Emil's in line next to read the book.  Of course, I read half of the book out loud to him, but still...

Speaking of cooking...I made a new WW recipe tonight for oven-baked onion rings.  Emil said the coating was somewhere in between sandpaper and broken glass.  Guess I should've used the breadcrumbs instead of subbing panko.  I really enjoyed them!  They were the perfect vehicle for ketchup, one of my major food groups.

Well, I'm ready to turn in and read my new book, "Sweet Tooth" by Ian McEwan.  It was our book club selection, and I'm a wee bit late in reading it.

Wahooey!  Emil just handed me the uke music to "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz.  I'll spend tomorrow learning it as we have a gig on Thursday in Sisters, and it's on the playlist.

Rituals

I'm a creature of habit, especially when it comes to food.  Those of you who worked with me in Anchorage know I went to McDonald's every Friday morning for a sausage biscuit with cheese.  Oftentimes, I brought Josh or Annabelle a biscuit too.  It was my way of celebrating Friday and surviving the week. Plus, I married someone who does not eat fast food.  So, I have to squeeze in a trip somehow!

My current habit is to hit Jackson's Corner every Friday afternoon for a small BLB.  Bacon, honey mayo (I try not to eat mayo, but this is an exception), arugula, and roasted yellow beets on a soft sando roll (have to ask for this bread).

Six slim bucks for this!

I've never cooked beets before, so I walked over to Whole Foods on Tuesday and picked one up.  They are so good!  I roasted it last night and served it with crispy zucchini tuna cakes for dinner.  YUM!

Before going in the oven

Several of you have inquired how I'm doing on my dairy free adventure.  The first few days were tough...I dreamed of butter and cheese.  But, it's actually not too bad.  I eat lots of veggies and tofu.  Menu planning is a challenge since we don't eat lots of meat anymore.  What's left to eat?

On a side note, I'm reading a fantastic book, "The Making of a Chef:  Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America by Michael Ruhlman.  It makes me long for going to culinary school and be glad I'm not going to culinary school all at the same time!  Making beautifully clear consomme, the mother sauces, veal stock, and more sounds good.  But, dealing with the time constraints, tests, and criticism sounds intimidating.  Don't ever pour alcohol in your skillet while it's on the stove.  EVER.  Read the book to find out why and scold the chefs on tv when you see them do it!

Book Publishing

This whole idea of publishing my novel is surreal.  I think in the back of my mind, I figured I'd never finish it (or truly move forward with it), so it just seems downright crazy.  Emil's more excited than I am, and he's completely supportive and proud.  What a good egg.

The book is now in the hands of two Beta readers.  I wonder if they'll look at me differently after reading it...some of the info in the book is true!  Maybe they'll be appalled at my writing, overuse of commas, or be aghast at my character's judgement.

I'm trying not to be overwhelmed with the prep work.  My dedication, acknowledgement page, and bio are drafted.  On deck, I need to write a book description, contact a graphic designer for the book cover, research book covers (a trip to Barnes and Noble with my handy iPhone to take pics of favorite covers), contact a local photographer to do my author photo, and maybe schedule a haircut!  Oh yeah...and write out a marketing plan.

I've also read several articles, taken notes, and chosen a publisher to self-publish.  This morning, I created a spreadsheet to capture expenses.  Future Best Day Ever:  Creating a spreadsheet to capture the number of books sold to put towards a cute Mini Cooper for me.  I will name it Mini Cooper Fund.

For now, I'm saving money for book expenses and working on a goal.  It's not going to be quantity of books sold or good reviews.  I'm leaning towards something else...more thoughtful and meaningful.

Goodbye Dairy

Okay, I have to face the facts.  I'm lactose sensitive, borderline intolerant.  I've ignored the possibility and just gotten used to an upset stomach and other side effects.  Yes...for a very long time.

So, I'm going dairy free starting today.  It's tough.  I eat the same breakfast every day...english muffin with butter.  It's my splurge since I'm on Weight Watchers.  Guess what I had today?  Sauteed tofu with mushrooms.  A big bowl.  Yum.  Guess I could've gotten a little more creative with my breakfast, but I didn't have the energy.  I don't like oatmeal (we ate oatmeal every day summer of 2011 on our roadtrip across to US), and I can't imagine eating scrambled eggs without cheese.  Egads.

My wonderful chef neighbor offered to help me menu plan, and I might have to take her up on it.  All the WW recipes I like have a bit of milk or cheese in them.  Or the ones without dairy are loaded with meat, and we try not to eat a lot of meat or poultry.  Our weekly meals are probably 80% vegetarian.  What a dilemma.

I think avoiding cheese and milk will be the easy part.  Butter, on the other hand, is my vice.  I love butter.  It's real, good, makes everything better, and so dang delicious.  Yesterday, I felt like I was marching to the guillotine....no butter?  Say it isn't so!  Therefore, I had two english muffins with butter.  Take that!  Ugh...my stomach doesn't feel so good.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.  I'll probably give up by Tuesday night.  

Cards for Sale

In an effort to make some much needed moolah, I've started selling my handmade cards on etsy.  Most have an ukulele theme of course!  There were no uke stamps to be found, so I had them designed by a wonderful gal here in Bend.  Check out her website:

http://www.thistlefishdesign.com/

She also designed the logo for Road Trip Ukuleles, Emil's company.  What a great logo!

So, please check out my cards, spread the word to other uke players, and enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/UkulelesRock

Resolutions

Bah!  I looked at last year's resolutions, and I kept two out of four.  Not bad, not all that good.

2012 ended with lots of napping, and 2013 started in the same manner.  I blame it on the recent cold temps, and my goal to finish editing my book.  My brain needs to rest after six hours of editing, eating popcorn, drinking tea, emailing, listening to the Jack Johnson Pandora station, and talking on the phone with my Mother.  How I managed to nod off during the Seahawks game on Sunday and the Capital One Bowl today...who knows?  They were exciting games for sure.

However, I did learn how to use iTunes tonight.  Finally!  I've been putting it off for years, and Emil's the wizard who loads up my iPod once in a blue moon.  Lori sent me several new CDs, so I successfully imported them into my library.  She's has influenced my musical selections for almost 11 years now.  If it weren't for her, I'd still own just one CD, my first - The Cranberries.  Lori keeps me stocked up with the latest music.  THANK YOU, LoMo!

Newest music thanks to a generous iTunes giftcard from my bro:  Eric Hutchinson, Adele, Garrett Wall, Mumford & Sons, Jack Johnson, Donovan Frankenreiter, and Ingrid Michaelson.

Oh yes...resolutions.  I'm not making them this year.  Too much on my plate!

A very Uke Christmas

Our day has been so relaxing and low key.  It's been nice to talk with family and hear their reactions to gifts and find out about their day.  With everyone embracing technology, we've received thank you notes, shared pictures, and more.  I'm especially thankful to USPS for finally delivering the anniversary scrapbook to my parents.  It was a fun project, although I'm not a scrapbooker and will leave it to my Mother to embellish and add a few more details. She's the creative, artistic, talented one when it comes to scrapbooking.  My approach is minimalist with pictures.

Here are a few pics from today:

Super soft jammy pants

An Otter Box for my iPhone since I'm prone to dropping it.

Opening the many generous gifts from my parents.

Uke gift #1:  a stand

Who needs fancy wrapping paper?

The resident comedian and his new leatherman

Uke gift #2:  366 songs to learn

Uke gift #3:  Jason Mraz songbook

New hat, scarf, and cookbook.  LOVE Smitten Kitchen!

Let's see...I think there were a few more uke gifts including a coupon for a mya-moe ukulele for Emil!  Santa was very kind this year.

Time for a snack and a piece of homemade cocoa cake!  Hope you all had a very nice Christmas surrounded by dear friends and family.

Snow Day

It's going to be a White Christmas here in Bend!  With a few inches of snow as a base, we received probably three more today.  So, I dashed out this morning in the flurries to stock up on crafting supplies and baking ingredients.  I figured I'd bake and make cards in between my usual Sunday Football Fest.

First, it was hard to choose a game to watch.  Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh was on the same time as the Saints vs. Cowgirls (Tommy Boy's nickname for them).  I mainly watched the Saints game and caught the end of the Cincy game...pretty darn exciting!  Tonight, I'll tune in to the Seahawks game and text back and forth with Tommy Boy during the game.

Secondly...the food.  I made one of my favorite Christmas appetizers a few nights ago.  It's a crowd pleaser and super easy.  Ritz crackers, whipped cream cheese (much easier to spread), and pomegranate seeds. 

Scared of a pomegranate?  Here's the easy way to remove the seeds thanks to Martha Stewart.  Cut the pom in quarters.  Hold skin side up over a bowl in the sink and whack the pom hard with a wooden spoon.  The seeds will fall neatly into the bowl. 

Last week, my friend, Erica, mentioned making buckeyes.  They've been on my mind...especially since I lived in Ohio, the Buckeye state, for several years.  I've never made them before, so I found a recipe that uses bittersweet chocolate.  Sounded good to me.  Plus, they freeze well, so I'll pull them out for a last minute dessert.

Very sweet.

I've been making chocolate-dipped marshmallows for the last two weeks.  Trying to perfect the dipping.  Some have crushed candy cane on the outside.  I ate all the ones with crushed hazelnuts...my favorite!  Just can't seem to get enough hazelnuts these days...I love them!

Make a cup of cocoa and stir in the marshmallow.  Yum!  They also make wonderful hostess gifts.

Here's a pic of the snow early this morning:

 

 

It's stopped snowing, and I'm ready for the couch and football.  Looking forward to our uke gig and Christmas Eve service tomorrow.  The turkey breast is thawing in the fridge, and I'll make cranberry sauce and a cocoa cake on Christmas morning.

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."

Wishing you peace and blessings!

Silhouettes

Oh my!!  I'm so excited and proud of Patti, my sister-in-law.  She did silhouettes at Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's wedding back in September.  And, now she's featured in this month's Martha Stewart magazine!  Woo HOO!  Check out the link below:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/320575/real-weddings-blake-and-ryan-charleston-south-carolina/@center/272446/real-weddings

The first picture thumbnail is her silhouette of the lovely couple.  I'm a big Blake Lively fan as I own the first two seasons of Gossip Girl.  Drama, Fashion, Drama.

Patti has a studio in downtown Greenville, SC.  She can also do silhouettes from a picture if you don't live nearby.  Here's her website:  http://heartpaperscissors.com/

Check it out!  Order a pencil sketch, names dear to my art, jewelry, or more!

Christmas is here!

That's what it feels like when I gaze out the window since we received about four inches of snow a few days ago.  A white Christmas.  What a great way to celebrate our first winter in Bend!

We selected the perfect size tree for our little home.  Many thanks to my Mother for sending some of her and my favorite ornaments.  She passed down two of my favorite...a small fabric green and white mouse and an egg wrapped in a ribbon.  Both have my name and date on it.  My all-time favorite is a pair of ice skates made from red and green felt.

Both of my fav ornaments are hung.  Can you spot them?

We're really looking forward to some downtime.  I know I said that at Thanksgiving, but with Emil working six days a week, we hardly see each other and spend any time together.  On Christmas Eve, we're playing a uke gig at the community center for a group of seniors.  It's going to be quite festive with some Christmas songs and golden oldies (referring to songs, not the people).

We're also going to a church downtown for Christmas Ever service, and I love seeing all the kids excited and smiling.  I'll miss going to church with my family.  Hopefully, we can gather together next year for the holidays especially if we have really good news to rejoice!

So, that leaves Christmas Day...pajamas, football, not getting off the couch except to throw the turkey in the crockpot, and talking on Skype with my family.  Sounds perfect to me.

In the meantime, we have friends coming to town!  Brian and Tara!  I haven't seen them since...hmmm...well before they ran off and eloped in Thailand.  They're traveling across the U.S. as part of their delayed honeymoon, celebrating with friends and family.  It's a short visit here, so I wonder how many brewery visits we can squeeze in.  Plus a visit to Sparrow Bakery for an ocean roll, lunch at Jackson's Corner, a Captain Jack Sparrow sammy at Brother Jon's, pizza at 10 Barrel, Smith Rock, breakfast at The Victorian Cafe or Chow or McKay Cottage, coffee at Strictly Organic, a walk along the Deschutes River, happy hour at 900 Wall, and a hike up Pilot Butte.  I haven't even factored in time for uke lessons and a sing-along.  Phew.

Hope your Christmas shopping is all done!  Most of mine was done before December...yes, I'm just like my Mother.  Except she had her shopping done and wrapped by Thanksgiving.  I'm not that good.  Every year, there's one gift I'm particularly excited to give....this year, it's super cute arm warmers for my niece.  They are absolutely adorable!

I'm hoping Santa will bring me a kitty!  An older senior kitty, short-hair, orange or grey, likes to lounge on laps, litter box trained, and friendly.

The Book

Most of you know I wrote a book two years ago...my first winter in Redmond.  It's something I've been wanting to do, and I seized the opportunity to hack away and come up with cheesy chick lit (65,000 words worth).  The majority of the scenarios in the book happened to me or my best friend, Tommy Boy.  The story takes place in Anchorage, and I love mentioning local places disguised under a different name.  For example, the bakery with great cheesecake is named Sugar.  Ha ha!  Can anyone guess the real name of the bakery?

Emil edited the first draft, and I'm finishing up a recent round of edits.  Then, I'll print a copy and ship it to a few select Beta readers who will give me specific feedback.  Finally, I self-publish using a service from Amazon.com.  Proceeds from the book will be saved up to purchase this super cute car:

Nothing against the soccer mom van, but I miss having my own vehicle.  I do like sharing a car, and I also enjoy walking to most places around town, but...imagine me in the drivers seat!  Vroom! Vroom!

So, the goal is to publish the book before my birthday.  A great present to myself and to the many characters in my book who you just might recognize (Wasilla City Council member...ahem).  I HAVE to make this goal, because then I need to focus on a new side business with Tommy Boy.  Did I mention how I'm always scheming??  And daydreaming too!   

Strange Happenings

I know who is responsible for these recent strange happenings.  They shall remain anonymous.  Is your curiosity piqued yet?

Scenario #1:

Actually buying brussels sprouts at the store.  Not the $2 bag, but an entire stalk for $3.

Emil looking forward to eating brussels sprouts.

Now, the cooking of the sprouts...one night, I roasted them in the oven.  Decent, but even better the next day when warmed up in the microwave.  Weird, I know.  Tonight, I made a magical Martha Stewart recipe using them.  Loosely followed the recipe (different pasta, more bacon grease, no sage since I'm a sage hater, and extra cheese which I'll pay for later).  OMG!!!  It was so good.  Smack your Mama good.  Turn you into a brussels sprouts lover good.  There may be a fight for the leftovers...only enough for one person.

http://www.marthastewart.com/313031/pasta-with-brussels-sprouts-and-bacon

A pan of yummy food.  Just bring me a fork.

Scenario #2:

This week, I had a late lunch at Jackson's Corner.  Kinda expensive for a lunch budget, but I love the atmosphere.  Well, they changed their menu according to the super cute cashier guy.  Instead of the BLT I wanted, it's now a BLB since it's not mater season.  The second B stands for beets.  I don't like beets.  I've tried them once.  That was enough.  But, a certain influential friend cooks lots of beets and swears by them.  So...I ordered it.  Imagine super soft homemade sandwich bread, bacon, arugula, honey mayo, and golden yellow beets.  It changed my life.  I've been plotting all week how to recreate this sammy at home.  Thinking a trip to Whole Foods for beets is in my future.  AND,  back to Jackson's Corner with my friend to taste test it one or two more times....tee hee.

See?  Strange happenings indeed.  I'd like to pretend I'm not, but I'm a very picky eater...salads, fruits, and vegetables, not so much.  What's next?