Monthly Archives: May 2011

Manzanita, Oregon- Coast Cabins

31 Tuesday May 2011

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Well here we are at our final destination… the beach in Manzanita, Oregon. When we woke up this morning the sun was shining so we jumped out of bed and headed to the beach!
 After spending most of the morning soaking up some sun we took the long way back through town back to the Coast Cabins for a much needed breakfast/lunch. We enjoyed our usual, yogurt, fruit and my Homemade Coconut Granola (recipe on the blog) and topped w/coconut butter. YUM!
 Later that night I got started on Quinoa Soup; onions, garlic, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, quinoa, veggie broth and a jar of my home canned tomatoes.
 While we waited for the soup to simmer a bit we got started on a simple appetizer. French baguette, local sharp cheddar, local blue cheese and topped with a tart cherry spread. So damn good!
 Just sitting by the fire taking it all in. The Coast Cabins is truly a special place, not our first time there and hopefully not our last.
 Dinner is served! Quinoa Soup topped w/ fresh basil and Spinach Salad w/ crumbled Vegan Herbed Crackers. (recipe for the crackers is on the blog) Billy said that this is was once of the best meals he’s ever had, it could have been the wine talking. What a great day this has been.
 This was the next day, we took a hike on Neakahine Trail. It was a tough hike, but so beautiful, and such a great time shared together. We were lucky enough that we had the trail all to ourselves.
Everything from the rocks to the trees are draped in this incredible green moss, one of my favorite things about Oregon. 
 View from the top- they say that this is the highest point from Canada to San Francisco. Spectacular!
 Lunch after our big hike, leftover soup, baguette w/tuna and avocado. Up next… Massages! See you tomorrow.
 Our last day at the Coast Cabins, the usual breakfast and warm tea. Kind of sad this morning but still have the whole day to play.
 We spend some time at the beach, and these cute ladies needed someone to take their photo and my sweet boy came to their rescue.
 Lunch was the rest of our Quinoa Soup, and  baguette w/ tuna.
 Before our last day came to a close we decided to go check out this beach down the road called Short Sands Beach, this is were all the locals hangout. I had to take pictures of all the plants because they all look like they are on steroids, so big and so green. It takes your breath away.
 Billy and I agreed that the walk down to the beach was just a beautiful as the beach itself was.
 Our first view of Short Sands Beach.
 Our last dinner on the coast, pasta, shrimp, asparagus, garlic, and arugula topped w/ fresh basil.
The next day we had to get in the car and drive 10 hours. This was a much needed trip and we had an amazing time- time to head home. See ya Manzanita.
I had to put this picture of my sweet love at the end, I told him he looked like a tired, worn out rock star. We headed back to SLC that day and the thought of spending 5 more hours in the car after spending the previous 10 hour drive day seemed like torture! But we have have to get back to our fun life at home and our kitties. Thanks for going on this journey with us. PEACE

Happy Anniversary

24 Tuesday May 2011

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Billy and I ventured out on this road trip for our 5yr wedding anniversary. I promise not to get to icky about the love stuff but… I have to say I feel like the luckiest girl to be married to my sweetie. We had a great time on our trip and really savored that time together. This is a little look at that day. Enjoy!

It was a rainy chilly morning in Portland but we didn’t care, this is our special day and we wanted to enjoy every part of it. Plus it was fun sitting in the rain drinking coffee waiting for our table.
‘Besaws’- The bartender at our hotel highly recommended this place, and he wasn’t wrong. This place  was our best meal in Portland. Great little gem.
 One of the best Bloody Mary’s I have ever had, and I’m pretty sure they owned their own canned tomatoes. That is the best way to win this girls heart.
 Billy is a sucker for a sweet breakfast he always wants French Toast and I couldn’t decide that morning. So we thought let’s get something sweet and something savory and we can share, it was our anniversary after all. VIOLA! Perfect breakfast negotiation. French Toast and Breakfast Burrito, those Rosemary Potatoes had whole cloves of roasted garlic in them. Seriously, I’m moving in.
 This is later in the afternoon on our way the the Oregon Coast, this was our view of the ocean. A breath of fresh air.
 A view from the car, it is so green and lush.
 We have finally made it to our destination, this is a view walking down the street headed to the beach. It was cold so we just took a few pics and went back to our warm cabin.
Can you see the rays of sun beaming through the clouds? This was a cold beautiful end to our warm, loving day. Happy Anniversary my sweet.

Portland- Artisan Bike Tour

23 Monday May 2011

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What a perfect day to update my blog about our time in Portland, it looks like Portland here today. We must have brought some of that Northwest rain home with us. From what we heard SLC was rainy the whole time we were gone- I have to say we were enjoying sunshine about 90% of our trip.

One request Billy had for our time in Portland was to go on a bike tour of the city, well I had just seen a mention in Sunset Magazine about Pedal Bike Tours in Portland. There were a few tours to choose from but I was delighted when Billy said he would want to do the Food Tour, score for both of us, yeah!. Here’s a few highlights from that day. Enjoy!

 Here we go…
 First Stop: World Cup Coffee
 We hadn’t had much to eat that morning so I stuck to some peppermint tea, Billy had a yummy hot chocolate. This coffee shop also has a location inside Powell’s Bookstore, which if you haven’t been to Powell’s, grab a coffee from World Cup Coffee and wander through this city block sized bookstore.
 Second Stop: Elephants Delicatessen– we had been to a smaller Flying Elephants Deli in the heart of downtown Portland the last time we visited, it’s a smaller version of this place, but for people on the go.
 The selections were endless, they had so much to choose from- all of it ready made. Soups, salads, sandwiches, hot items, frozen items, wine, cheese, meats, etc.
 This is the Sample Plate that was provided for us on the Bike Tour, all of it local!
 Third Stop: Two Tarts (You can find them on Facebook)
 Fuzzy Photo of their “Thumb Prints” with a seasonal Rhubarb filling- soooo delish! We got a variety of their sweet morsels to take with us up to the coast, the Macaroons were our favorites.
 Fourth Stop: Hot Lips Pizza– this place is a locally owned family pizza joint. That is a pic of the electric vehicle they use to deliver their pizza’s. They even make their own soda!
 This location of Hot Lips is in one of Portland’s LEED Certified buildings (that means they meet very high “Green” building standards) it was a beautiful space.
 Billy loves his Pizza, if this place was in Utah I would love Pizza too. This piece had a local sharp cheddar, broccoli and hazelnuts, crazy good! They had a huge variety of vegetarian and vegan options, and they strive to use as much local, seasonal ingredients as possible.
 Fifth Stop: Portland’s Farmers Market, we picked up some asparagus to take with us to the Coast.
 Belisimo!
 Last Stop: cacao – a chocolate shop
 This hot chocolate was like drinking a melted chocolate bar, so good, so rich and so glad it came in this tiny cup!

Cacao even carried a Utah local chocolate, Amano Chocolate, you can find this at Tony Caputo’s Market here locally.
Pedal Bike Tours did a great job, Billy and I had such a fun time and it was a great way for us to see the city in a different way that we did the last time we were there. Portland we love you, if it weren’t for the rain, we would move there in a heart beat. All the the shops and restaurants support local, seasonal products- it’s fantastic.

Big City Coffee- Not our first time

17 Tuesday May 2011

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 Not our first time to Big City Coffee, and surely not our last. This is a fun local joint that has such amazing treats and coffee we’ve had them shipped to us in SLC. Their Butter finger Brownies are to die for and their coffee raises money for Breast Cancer Research w/ cute names like ‘Big Titty Coffee and Double D Decaf’.

Me enjoying my Bit-O-Honey latte made w/soy milk (cinnamon and honey- how warm and delicious does that sound?) Yum!
My sweet husband is a sucker for a good breakfast sandwich, this one has steamed eggs on it.
This plate is called ‘The Usual’- fine by me I also got some steamed eggs on the side. We had a long time in the car ahead of us so I wanted a filling breakfast. This hit the spot.

A few from the street, Big City Coffee is located in what they call the Linen District.
This is how all the bike racks in the Linen District are decorated-clever!

Boise Fry Company- First leg of the road trip

17 Tuesday May 2011

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 This awesome little Boise local joint was featured in Sunset, and since we were headed to Boise I knew we had to check them out.
 Their philosophy is “burgers on the side”, this is their vegan burger. They also have a beef burger and a bison burger.
The fries at this place get all the attention, you can pick from about 6 different kinds of potatoes- how you want them cut (traditional, curly, shoestring, etc) , they have about 10 different seasoning salts and about 8 different dipping sauces- all house made.
We tried the good ‘ol russet potato (this is Idaho you know!) w/traditional cut, and the Okinawa (which was a purple potato that was kind of sweet). Our favorite dipping sauces were the regular fry sauce and the spicy curry. We also shared a regional beer that tasted like cream soda! YUMMY!

Komen Walk and Mother’s Day Dinner- Boobs, Friends and Food

09 Monday May 2011

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 Our group for the big Komen Breast Cancer Walk, Yeah Team!
 Jenn, Mom and Me
 Breakfast at Squatters- Yum Fun
 Creminelli Sopressatta Salami over Fresh Cucumber
Urban Oven Crackers topped w/ local Goat Cheese, Fresh Anchovies and a slice of Fresh Lemon
 The dudes chillen, waiting for food. (Billy and Big Mike)
 View of our beautiful table
 Close up of Greek Salad (made by Mike, recipe on the blog) and Homemade Pasta (made my me) topped w/ local Sunbridge Pesto
Dessert- Homemade Coconut Ice Cream topped w/ Strawberries that were marinated in Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
-Homemade Coconut Ice Cream-
1 14oz can organic coconut milk
1/4 c. agave
1 T. Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla (I get mine at Williams Sonoma)
a pinch of salt
1. Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and pour into your ice cream machine and process for 20-25 minutes.
2. Scoop into a freezer container and freeze for at least a few hours before serving.
3. When ready to serve take out of freezer and let sit for awhile to soften just a bit, serve. ENJOY!

Pea and Kale Puree w/Nu Nooz Pasta and Scallops- Pea’s the Season

04 Wednesday May 2011

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 Peas, kale, mint, chives, scallops and dry Nu Nooz Pasta
 Pureed steamed peas, kale, mint, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper
 Sauteing the scallops
VOILA! Finished dish- MMM
-Pea and Kale Puree w/ Nu Nooz Pasta and Scallops-
2 c. petite frozen peas (reserve 1/4 cooked peas for garnish)
1 bunch of kale (mine came from my friend Gwen Crist garden, thanks Gwen)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. fresh mint chopped (reserve a little for garnish)
1 T. chives, chopped
2 c. dry Nu Nooz pasta
8 large scallops
2 T. olive oil
1 T. coconut oil
salt and pepper
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over med-high heat. When water comes to a boil toss in the peas and cook for 2 min. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peas from the boiling water and toss in a strainer reserving the boiling water for the kale and pasta.
2. Next toss the kale into the boiling salted water for just 2 min, use the slotted spoon to remove the kale just like the peas and place into a strainer to cool.
3. Cook the pasta in the same salted boiling water you used for the peas and kale. Cook pasta according to the directions. When the pasta is done drain the pasta and the water and set aside.
4. In a food processor place the peas, mint, garlic, kale (squeeze out any remaining water), olive oil, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside. (Check the salt and pepper to taste)
5. Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add the coconut oil and let melt. When the oil is melted add the scallops to the pan and salt and pepper them. Cook for two minutes and turn over and cook on the other side, be sure to salt and pepper that side as well- cook another 2 minutes or until done. (Be careful not to over cook)
6. Toss the pasta with some of the puree, spoon on a little and add more to coat real well. Divide into two bowls, add the scallops and garnish with the reserved peas, mint and chopped chives. ENJOY!

Twice Baked Potatoes- Easter Dinner

01 Sunday May 2011

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 All the ingredients
 Potatoes scooped out and prepared filling, cheese for topping
 Completed prepared potatoes
Dinner!
-Twice Baked Potatoes-
6 organic russet potatoes
1 heaping c. Creminelli Prosciutto Cotto, cubed and fat trimmed off (about 1/2 lb)
1 heaping c. Beehive Full Moon Cheese, cubed- save 1/3 for the topping (I would have liked to use Beehive’s Promontory Cheddar but my store was out)
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/4 c. organic sour cream
1/4 c. prepared horseradish
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper, bake the potatoes whole rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with real salt. Bake @ 400 degrees for 50 minutes turning once during the cooking time.
2. When potatoes are cooked take out of the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out flesh of potatoes, be careful during this step not to break the outside shell. Leave 1/4 inch of flesh around the sides of the  shell.
3. Scoop the flesh into a big bowl, add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. (Taste to check seasoning)
4. Next add ham, 2/3 of the cheese, onions- mix to combine. Next add sour cream and horseradish and mix all together.
5. Scoop a large spoonful of the mixture into each half of the potato until they are all filled. Top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes. Serve hot! Enjoy!