Big News!

Are you ready?  Are you sitting down?  We bought six adorable chicks tonight.  Tried to have a hen look after them, but she didn't take too kindly to the six little ones running around.  So, we (Emil mostly) will raise them ourselves.  I'm not sure what this all entails, but we're excited.

Here are some pics:

Barred Plymouth

Hen and six chicks

Food and water!

Today was the warmest day of the year so far!  70 degrees plus with clear blue skies.  Grass is mowed, weeds are at a minimum, and my bike is calling my name!  Hopefully, I'll squeeze in a ride on Sunday after my big work event concludes.

Wonderful Weekend

It's been a lovely weekend!  Friday night, my former co-worker, Pam and her husband, Chuck came over for dinner.  They are checking out Bend and Eugene.  It was so good to catch up and see friendly faces!  Makes me miss United Way of Anchorage and my pals in Alaska.

Saturday, Emil and I did a site visit to the bike race location for the Cascade Chainbreaker.  We walked part of the course and watched folks ride a practice loop.  Emil has been monitoring the weather closely, so he can wear the right gear for the Sunday race.

Sunday, we arrived in plenty of time for Emil's warm up ride.  The weather was sunny and blue.  As he approached the start line, clouds rolled in.  Uh-Oh.  During the race, I cheered him on at several points.  The weather changed to light snow, sunny, snow, hail, sunny, cloudy, cold, and snow.  Welcome to Central Oregon weather!  Here are some pics of my hero, who rode 26.5 miles:

Quite a dusty course

Next up for him, the Pole Pedal Paddle.  Super cool race!  Check it out.  Emil is doing the 22 mile road biking portion of the relay.
http://www.pppbend.com/race_guide.htm

Out of town guests update:  Sue B. and her husband arrive on Friday to Eagle Crest for a week!  She is kind enough to volunteer and help me at my work event.  Yahoo!!

Lake Billy Chinook

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, so we did a little exploring in the afternoon at Lake Billy Chinook in Culver.  What a beautiful lake!  Makes me homesick for the Saturdays spent with my brother, Tom, on Lake Keowee.  We would get up early and be on the water by 9 a.m. and wakeboard for a couple of hours.  It took me a long time to learn how to wakeboard, and I drank a lot of lake water, but it was worth it.  Finally, I learned to hold on (even if it feel unnatural to be yanked like that) and lean back.

Here are a couple of pics from the day:

Poor little dead porcupine

I won free tickets to see Hal Sparks.  He was at the Tower Theater last night, and he was hilarious! http://halsparks.com/.

It's going to be a super busy week, so I will try to get ahead of yardwork, baking, cooking, and crafting for the week!  Dinner with Pam and Chuck on Friday!  Woo Hoo!

Birthday Bonanza

It's been a lovely birthday, and thank you for all the calls and cards!  We went to church this morning and stopped on the way home for our favorite stuffed hashbrowns at Shari's Restaurant.  After completing some yardwork, we went to see "Water for Elephants" at Sisters Movie House.  I was worried about the movie since I loved the book, but they did a pretty decent adaptation.  Definitely take some tissues when you see it.

For dinner, I tried out a new recipe...Bistro Style Beef Shortribs.  Course, I changed up the recipe after reading through it, and the outcome was delicious.  The picture doesn't really do it justice.  The broth was amazing.  Scalloped potatoes (recipe from Tyler Florence) and pickled jalapeno deviled eggs rounded out the meal.  No room for dessert...pineapple pie (thanks, Erica!).

Fresh chicken eggs!

My very first meringue

Pork Belly Obsession

My pork belly obsession began with Top Chef two seasons ago when I saw Kevin, one of the chefs, use it in every single meal.  We finally had pork belly sliders at Level One.  Delicious!  Just recently, I had an amazing pork belly BLT at Rockin' Daves.

This week, we had dinner at Terrebonne Depot, just a few miles from our house.  http://www.terrebonnedepot.com/.  I read in a magazine about their pork belly lettuce wraps.  What a unique twist!  They were delicious, but I wished I had more toppings to go in them.  The dinner special was homemade meatloaf topped with pork belly.  My lucky day!  Course, my Weight Watchers is suffering, but we did split everything, including two desserts.  Hee Hee.

Banana Chocolate Bread Pudding - I already downloaded a recipe and will make it next week!

Meatloaf topped with pork belly

Pork belly lettuce wraps

Rum cake with AMAZING cherries

Easter/my birthday is tomorrow, and we have some fun stuff planned.  Most importantly, I am making braised short ribs, scalloped taters, and blueberry muffins.  I woke up early this morning and whipped up a pineapple pie to go along with it.

Emil and I biked about 7.5 miles today.  That's enough to cancel out one piece of pie, I think.....

Summer Plans

What are your summer plans?  When are you coming back to Alaska?  Have you found a permanent job yet?  Lately, these are the most popular questions asked via email, in person, on Facebook and over text.  Course, we've been kicking around some ideas, and I want to share them with you.

1.  Bike ride to Ohio and write a book about it, called The O to O Ride.  This is probably off the table since I don't have a road bike.  And, there may be big hills on the way to Ohio. 

2.  Bike ride to Colorado.  There's a wedding in August we would like to attend.  I know there are really big hills there since I used to live in good ol' Georgetown, up on I-70 on the way to Summit County.

3.  Load the vans with float tubes, mountain bikes, flyrods, and a tent.  Travel the summer..fish, bike and visit my family.

4.  Apply for jobs here and fish as often as possible.  Also, master going uphill on my mountain bike.  On Sunday, I practiced at the Dry Canyon as Emil coached me.  Fell off four times, but still kept trying.  I will master hills.  I will master hills.  I will practice on our driveway.  NO WALKING!

Anyone have other ideas?  Something more wild than the ones I listed above?  We do not plan to return to Alaska, other than to pick up our stuff eventually.  Sorry, Erica. :)  I sure appreciate you asking me several times...makes me feel super missed!

Guess we do have to make up our minds soon, as plans need to be made.  Will keep you all posted!

P.S.  Spring is almost here.  I've cut the grass once already.  Woo HOO!

My Top Five Highlights From This Week

1.  Picked up my new blue bike named "Bonita."   I'll save up for some cute bike shorts and hit the trails soon.
2.  Had dinner at a darling restaurant, Jackson's Corner.  It's been on my list to try since Christmas.
3.  Streamed episode one of Top Chef Masters.  Ruth Reichl is one of the judges.  I ADORE her.  I've read most of her books.  She is fantastic, and I miss reading her Editor Notes in Gourmet magazine.
4.  Emil suddenly has lots of free time on his hands.  That means he will finish editing my book, so I can send it on to my two willing and awesome beta readers.
5.  I can now find Costco and Old Navy without a GPS.

P.S.  Rockchucks are everywhere right now!  I also saw a peacock on the side of the road this morning on the way to the gym.  Gorgeous colors!

Rockin' Daves

Okay, my favorite sandwich is the Captain Jack Sparrow from Brother Jon's.  Hands down.  I probably won't stray and order any other sandwich from there.  My number two favorite is the Pork Belly BLT from Rockin' Daves.  http://www.rockindaves.com/.

We went there for lunch today, and it was FANTASTIC!  Dave is super cute!  I heard him on the radio several days ago, and he LOVES pork belly.  Sorry, my picture doesn't do it justice.  Pork belly, romaine lettuce, tomato, soft wheat bread, and ranch cream cheese. 

It's definitely going to be one of my go to places from now on.  I'll swing in and try out one of their famous bagels next week..or tomorrow.

Food and Games

We've been eating some good meals at night and engaging in Mexican Train Dominoes.  What a fun game!

Cherries with the most amazing crust/topping with ice cream.  THANK YOU for making it, Teri!

Guess which train is mine

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chop via Giada on Food Network

The weather was sunny and blue yesterday in Sisters.  Checked out a wonderful art gallery. http://donterra.com/home/about/don-terra-artworks/

Attached to that gallery is the Jennifer Lake Gallery.  We chatted with her, and she has a keen sense of humor and is super friendly.  http://www.jenniferlakegallery.com/

Last day with our dear friends, Teri & Troy!  We will miss seeing them this summer in Soldotna and fishing for salmon!

Time with good friends

Troy and Teri arrived yesterday, and it's been a grand ol'time so far.  We had a leisurely dinner and caught up on all the gossip.  Heard about their time spent in Florida, Texas and Death Valley.  Sounds pretty hot and fun!

Today, we hit the REI sale and bought me a mountain bike!  Now, I can fly down the trails with Emil.  Or try to keep up with him.  Or at least ride in the same car to the trailhead.

My new sweet ride will arrive on Friday!

A visit to Bend with friends is not complete without a trip to Brother Jon's Public House.  Kristen greeted us warmly like old pals, and I will never stray again from ordering the Captain Jack Sparrow with fries.  It never lets me down.

Good people and good times

"We flew kites in the pasture."  Six words I never thought I would say!

Mariko and Chris are here visiting, and they arrived on Tuesday afternoon.  It was windy and a little chilly.  But, we headed down to the pasture and flew two kites that Chris brought along with him.  What fun!  A little more wind, and my feet would have lifted off the ground.

Ready to launch

Two string kite

Am I doing it right?

I LOVE this picture!

We spent yesterday in Sisters, despite on and off flurries.  Checked out some new stores, tried on some cowboy boots, and enjoyed the afternoon.  Today, we had lunch at Brother Jon's, my current favorite restaurant.  Kristen, the server remembered my name, and she is super friendly.  I made myself try a new sammy even though I would've been perfectly happy with the Captain Jack Sparrow.

BLT with Smoked Chicken and Split Pea Soup

Philly Cheesesteak

My Reuben with the BEST fries

It's been a super visit!  I will be sorry to see them go.  Our next group of company arrives on Saturday.  More exploring, good food, and memorable times to come.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

I am known for overdoing it when it comes to trying out a new hobby, hiking, or other random things.  My backside is a little sore from yesterday's five mile road ride.  Today, we started out the morning riding the Dry Canyon (7.7 miles) in Redmond.  Lovely weather, saw a rockchuck and several cats in the fields.

Headed into Bend for a snack...tried out Kebaba restaurant.  Very good!

Vegetarian Mezze

After our snack,we headed to Phil's trail area for some mountain biking.  Emil took it easy on me since I've never mountain biked before, and we only did two miles on Bend's trail.  It was a great time going downhill....

Tonight, I'll sleep well, as it's a super busy week ahead! 

Full Weekend, and it's only Saturday!

Yesterday was a busy day at work, plus running several errands.  I am behind in sending care packages to my brother, Tom, who is in Afghanistan.  So, I baked in the evening and made him Peanut and Chocolate Chip Blondies.  They are one of my favorite desserts.  Blondie Recipe

I loaded his care package with candy, homemade banana bread, and wet wipes (his most requested item for battling dust).

Then I did some menu planning for our next round of guests, Mariko and Chris.  She is the one of the best cooks I know, so I want to try out some new recipes and cook outside my comfort zone.  I'll take some pics of the food if it all turns out!

Today, I rented a bike from Sunnyside Sports, so we could bike around Old Mill.  The last time I biked was with Brian Shea at Eklutna Lake, and my bike was a Huffy from Walmart.  Not exactly good for the trail or an inexperienced biker.  It was a memorable day of biking that included him promising to stop for ice cream on the way home. As I recall, he chose to pass by the ice cream shop, and we went to Sagaya, bought swordfish and had an impromptu party at his place.  Ahhh...the sweet cabin in Fairview.

Biking around the parking lot and trails

We ended the day at a cute little smoothie place with a HUGE menu.  I'll be back to try the peanut butter and jelly smoothie.  One of the things I LOVE about Bend is the retail sector...everyone is super friendly.  When you enter their establishment, they ask, "what are you guys up to today?" instead of saying hi, how are you.  It makes me feel instantly at ease, and suddenly I am telling them what we're doing and chatting away like old friends. 

Tomorrow, we plan to bike the Dry Canyon here in Redmond and maybe return to Old Mill.  Hope your weekend is going well!

Goodbye Mr. Buttermilk

This afternoon, I whipped up Buttermilk Biscuits, thanks to a great recipe from Tyler Florence.  Recipe link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/better-buttermilk-biscuits-recipe/index.html

They turned out really well.  One thing about baking I hate is cutting butter in little pieces and then cutting it into flour.  To make this easier, I freeze the butter and grate it into the flour.  It makes the whole dang process much easier and faster.  I also don't end up with buttered fingers and a mess.

Throw them in the freezer for brunch or a hearty breakfast

Flying Factoid:  Tyler Florence grew up in good ol'Greenville, South Carolina where I grew up.

Next ingredient to use up:  Instant Espresso Powder

Caffeine makes me pretty hyper and a little frantic, so this will be interesting.  Good thing, I pass off most of the baked goods to Emil.  *grin*

Buttermilk, Instant Espresso Powder and Mumford & Sons

I have wasting food.  Especially perishable goods.  It's easy to bake off something and freeze it.  So, I had leftover buttermilk from last week's Pancakes with Peachy Compote.  They were FANTASTIC! 
Pancake Recipe.  I've made them twice in two weeks.  Sorry, no pic to post.  We were too busy working our way through the mound of pancakes.  Totally makes more than 12 pancakes...do not be fooled.

Back to the leftover buttermilk....I just found a super easy recipe for Banana Buttermilk Bread.  It's in the oven right now, and it smells heavenly.  Banana Bread Recipe.  I have 2/3 cup of buttermilk to go, so I'll make something else tomorrow.

My goal next week is to use up the instant espresso powder.  Stay tuned for new recipes!

I'm obsessed with the Mumford & Sons CD right now.  It's constantly on, and I just downloaded "The Cave" as my ringtone.  Their music is the reason I want to take banjo lessons.  Can you picture me in a band, playing banjo at a little coffee shop in downtown Bend??

Coffee and Miscellaneous

I've been pushing myself to get out a little more.  Whether it's driving around without a GPS, walking around downtown, or setting up meetings with nice folks around town and learning more about Bend.  I spent all winter holed up at home working on my book, and I've lost some of my social skills.

Yesterday, I had a morning meeting at the cutest coffee shop, Bend Mountain Coffee.  It's quaint, and the guy whips up a delicious latte.  The perfect place to hang out alone or with friends.

For lunch, Bend Brewing Company was recommended for their good food and always great service.  I arrived just before 2, and the place was pretty empty.  After chatting with the bartender, she said most folks were in the night before for Locals Night.  The steak sandwich was good, and I appreciated the friendly service...most of the employees said hi.  Did I look sad sitting at the bar by myself?

Anyway, I'm certainly enjoying Bend and Redmond.  Folks are nice and quick to offer suggestions on places to eat, see, and do.  I miss my peeps in Alaska daily, but I'm hoping to make some good friends here too.

Oh yeah....I checked out Sisters Coffee Company on Monday.  What a cute building!  The interior reminds me of a hunting/fishing lodge in Alaska.  It's super inviting and cozy!  Picked up a pound of Cowboy Coffee to try out for our next round of company.

Brother Jon's Public House

I've been dreaming about the Captain Jack Sparrow sandwich from Brother Jon's Public House ever since I tasted it last week.  Today, we did a quick trip to Costco to purchase goodies for our first round of visitors and stopped in for a super early lunch at Brother Jon's.  Unlike me at all...I tried something new, even though I really wanted the Captain Jack Sparrow again.  The club sandwich with smoked chicken instead of turkey.  It was HUGE!  And, delicious!  They also had four other sammies on special and three soups, so I tried a cup of the potato leek soup.  Very good!

Emil will enjoy the remaining monstrous half of my club sandwich tonight while he's at work.  Are you surprised I shared?  Yep, me too.  He did share a bite of his Captain Jack Sparrow with me! 

Look how much space just half of the club takes up on my plate!

Weekend in Portland

We took a little mini-break in Portland before three sets of company swoops in for fun visits over the next few weeks.  Started off on the lovely streetcar and took it into downtown.  Stopped in to Penzeys Spices, one of my favorite places to purchase spices.  LoMo turned it on to me when she gave me a giftbox several years ago.  http://www.penzeys.com/

We walked through Saturday Market and picked up a plate of noodles with teriyaki chicken before heading over to Voodoo Doughnuts.

The doughnut line was about 150 feet long just to the door.  We waited in line for 25 minutes and moved up about 15 feet.  Progress was slow, and we were too anxious to hit up Powell's for a browse.  http://www.powells.com/

After buying some books at Powell's and walking back to the hotel in Nob Hill, we drove over to Pine State Biscuits.  I love them!  I saw them featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives....couple of North Carolina guys (shout out to Erica) started Pine State, and they know how to do biscuits right!  http://pinestatebiscuits.com/

The Reggie:  Fried chicken, bacon, cheese, and sausage gravy

The Chatfield:  Fried chicken, bacon, cheese, and apple butter

Fried green maters

I love their second location!  Cute spot in Alberta, open in the evenings, and more seating than the other location.  We stopped at Voodoo doughnuts (different location) on the way back to the hotel for dessert.

After shopping at Nordstrom (I SO miss you!), and eating at Burgerville, we headed back to good ol'Redmond.  Now, it's time to plan menus for incoming company and clean the house!  YAY!

P.S.  One more pic...saw this on our way out of town.

Brother Jon's Public House

I am in love.  The Captain Jack Sparrow sandwich at Brother Jon's Public House is DELISH.  I almost jumped off my bar stool and hugged the entire kitchen staff.  I also appreciate Kristin, the bartender, for recommending the sandwich!  The bread is so soft...incredibly soft, smack your mama soft!  There is ham, pineapple, pulled pork, cheese, sauteed onions, and a touch of mayo piled high on this lovely sesame bun.  Four pickles, and a generous helping of fresh cut fries.  Perfectly seasoned.  No salt, pepper or ketchup required.

Truly, I wanted to eat the entire sandwich in one sitting, but I saved half for dinner tonight.  Probably 30 WW points, but totally worth it.  I'll work out hard tomorrow to make up for it.

One fantastic sandwich!

It's also a very cute restaurant...small, 12 tables.  I went alone for a super late lunch and sat at the bar.  Huge kudos to the super guy at Bend Oregon Restaurants http://www.bendoregonrestaurants.com/.  He mentioned Brother Jon's multiple times on his website, and it totally lived up to his hype.  Next visit, I'll try the club sandwich!!

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies

This is what happens when you spend five bucks on a jar of Ovaltine for one little recipe....you cruise websites looking for other recipes to use the stuff up!  Luckily, I found a good recipe from Dorie Greenspan. 

The cookie texture is very different, almost cakelike and not too sweet.  The malt isn't super pronounced, and I gave up chopping the Whoppers after they kept pinging onto the kitchen floor.  I ended up with about a cup of chopped Whoppers and a healthy handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Don't bake them for more than ten minutes, or they will be dry.

 

Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup instant malted milk powder (Ovaltine etc)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick with 3 extra tbs)

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup whole milk

2 cups malted milk balls, coarsely chopped (I use Whoppers, 6 oz in total)

1 cup chocolate chips
 

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sift together flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each one.
5. Beat in the vanilla.
6. Reduce mixer to low add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix well.
7. Pour in the milk & mix.
8. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well.
9. **The batter will look more like frosting than cookie dough.**.
10. Put mixer on low or mix by hand the malt balls and the chocolate chips/chunks or whatever you are using. I prefer doing this by hand.
11. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart.
12. Bake for 10 minutes, when cookies are done they will be puffed and slightly soft to the touch.
13. Let cool for 2 minutes then place on cooling rack.

Ash Wednesday

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and I haven't decided on what to give up or what to do for Lent.  When I was younger, I ALWAYS gave something up for Lent.  People would ask me if I was Catholic, and I told them no, but never bothered to wonder why I was asked that so many times.  Turns out it's optional for Presbyterians (me) to give up something for Lent, I think.  Or maybe I'm just making that up.  Oh well.  I really should ask my Mom.

I always look forward to Lent though.  In the past, I've given up coffee, chocolate, popcorn (so very hard), and fried foods.  For the popcorn, I went to the movies on Easter Sunday morning to stand in line for a buttery popcorn, not to see a movie.  It was a great breakfast.  When I gave up fried foods, my acne cleared up, and I lost ten pounds.  There really are many benefits to Lent.

Anyway, I will come up with something to do tomorrow.  Oh yeah, I'm doing a big presentation tomorrow morning for work.  Wish me luck!  You know how I feel about presentations....

James Beard Drop Cream Biscuits

Why haven't I made these biscuits before?  Oh yeah, it's because I grew up in the South and love Bisquick. 

An open container of heavy cream stared at me every time I opened the fridge, so I looked up some recipes to use it up.  I hate to waste ingredients, especially expensive ones.  These biscuits are good.  Just plain good with some butter and jam, right out of the oven.  I chose to roll them out instead of the drop method...

 

They puffed up quite well and not too much sweetness.  I'll freeze the rest of the biscuits.  A treat on a rainy day with chicken noodle soup or an egg scramble will be yummy with them!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder (double-acting)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Fold in cream until it makes a soft dough that can be easily handled. (You may need to add up to a full cup of cream).
3. Turn on to a floured board and knead for about one minute.
4. I make these as drop biscuits: Take a large mound of dough (one heaping tablespoonful) and dip into melted butter. (I brushed the tops with butter)
5. Arrange biscuits on a baking sheet spritzed with baking spray. Bake at 425 for 13-16 minutes.

Toomie's Thai Restaurant

Last week, I stumbled across a website featuring Bend restaurants, and the reviewer is HILARIOUS.  He's sharp, honest, and doesn't apologize.  I SO want to eat out with him.  I'll even pick up the tab.  His comments and snappy retorts remind me of Josh Niva, giving me a hard time on our daily walk for morning coffee back in Anchorage.

Visit his website:  http://www.bendoregonrestaurants.com/

We are checking out some new restaurants since we're having three weeks of various visitors come to town soon, and I want to take them out for some good chow.  Tonight, we went to Toomie's Thai Restaurant.  First of all, it was not busy at all for a Saturday night at 7 p.m.  I've noticed several restaurants aren't busy at peak times...is the economy really that bad in Bend?  I have to wonder...don't people eat out anymore??

For an appetizer, we had these delightful steamed dumplings filled with pork, chicken and shrimp served on top of fresh bean sprouts, chilies, garlic, green onions, and a sassy soy sauce.  It went along nicely with my Thai Iced Tea.  Dinner order was Toomie's special fried rice and a spicy pan fried chicken with red peppers, garlic, onion, chilies, bamboo shoots, and thai basil.  I have to be honest...I didn't care for the fried rice.  Kind of mushy and too much coconut milk, not enough peanut sauce.  I will give them props for using peanut sauce though.  I did like the chicken dish, and the spice was just enough.  We'll have to go back for lunch and give some other dishes a try, particularly their soup.

Here are some pics of the food:

Steamed Dumplings

Where's the rice?

Spicy Chicken (#56 on the menu)

On a side note:  A special shout out to Spencer Shroyer, who is leaving Anchorage Daily News.  I will miss reading his articles, but I'm excited to hear about his new adventure.  He's my go to guy for restaurant picks, as he knows all the best places in every city.  I may hit up Pine State Biscuits next weekend in Portland, Spencer!!  Fried green tomatoes!

AND, I finally watched this week's episode of Top Chef.

1.  I was really nervous for Richie.  Thought he might get the boot.  Phew.

2.  I LOVE Dan Barber.  http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/overview/team/dan-barber
My goal is to visit Blue Hill at Stone Barns for a tour and a taste of good local food.  Maybe it can be a treat when my book is published.

Iditarod 39

Today is the ceremonial start of the Iditarod, and I'm sad to miss it!  There are 62 mushers this year.  I'm rooting for Lance Mackey again.  Tom B., Katie, Erik and I met him last year at the State Fair.  He's just lovely!  Very friendly and kind enough to pose for several pictures.

Last year, a bunch of friends and I watched the mushers go by on the trail by Tom B.'s house.  It was so much fun!  Beer, spiked hot chocolate, warm muffins (thanks, Karli!), and good friends.  We called out their names as they passed and wished them luck.  At work, we had an informal lottery and drew names of mushers.  Payouts for first to scratch, red lantern (last to cross the finish line), winner and other categories. 

Several years ago, Chef Sara and I had the opportunity to work at Riversong Lodge, which is located right on the Iditarod Trail near Lake Creek. http://riversonglodge.com/

In the middle of the night, we had a huge bonfire and hot toddies.  In the distance, we would see a faint headlight.  As they drew closer, we would call out,"who are you?"  They would respond, "number 21, Dallas Seavey!" Then we would clap and yell good luck to him.   It was fun and a once in a lifetime experience!

I'll be monitoring the race closely from here.  GO LANCE!!!

Official link to Iditarod:  http://iditarod.com/
Local coverage:  http://www.adn.com/